JuJu Watkins is just four games into her sophomore season at Southern California, but she is already reaching impressive milestones.
On Friday, the 19-year-old USC guard recorded the 1,000th point of her career.
Watkins reached the coveted points threshold at the second-fastest pace in NCAA Division I history. She also accomplished the feat in two fewer games than former Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
Clark, the top pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, remains the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer in men’s and women’s basketball.
Friday’s game against Santa Clara was the 38th game of Watkins’ college basketball career. She knocked down a jump shot with less than seven minutes remaining in the third quarter to reach the 1,000-point mark.
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LSU’s Maree Jackson, Oregon State’s Carol Menken and New Orleans’ Sandra Hodge all reached the mark in 37 games. It also took Weber State’s Kathy Miller and Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne 38 games to record 1,000 points in their careers.
Watkins earned national Player of the Year honors multiple times during her impressive run as a California high school basketball player. She has routinely showcased her scoring ability since she transitioned to the next level, finishing her freshman season with 920 points.
She also became the 31st player in USC history to reach 1,000 points. Cheryl Miller reached the 1,000-point mark in 48 games. Miller’s 3,018 points remain the most by a single player in USC women’s basketball history.
Miller became a fixture at USC games last season. Just ahead of Watkins debut in the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament in March, Miller offered Watkins some words of wisdom.
“I want you to find that quiet space where no one else [is], where it’s your time to exhale. … I’m not worried about the physical. You’re a young kid, and you’re going to continue to grow into your body,” Miller told Watkins during a sit-down with Andscape in March.
“But it’s the mental fatigue that I worry from you. It’s not a basketball. … It’s the business aspect. That’s what I need from you, to find that quiet space.”
USC defeated Santa Clara 81-50 Friday and improved to 4-0. The Trojans host Notre Dame Nov. 23.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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