USC basketball standout Juju Watkins to throw first pitch at Dodger game

Juju Watkins, a basketball star at USC, will toss the first pitch for her hometown team at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. 

The soon-to-be sophomore set the NCAA all-time scoring record for freshmen with 920 points, an average of 27.1 points per game — second only to Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark. 

Watkins, a Los Angeles native, helped the Trojans make their first Elite Eight Appearance since 1994 and was named an AP First Team All-American, one of the many accolades she racked up during her freshman campaign. During the NCAA Tournament, she was the only player to average multiple steals a game and 1.5 blocks per game. 

She was also selected as the National Freshman of the Year by the WBCA, USWBA and The Athletic. The whole list of Watkins’ achievements during her first season at USC is on the university’s website.

She also holds the USC record for both men and women by scoring 30 points or more in 14 games. Watkins also set the school record for most points scored at Galen Center during her 42-point outing against Colorado. 

Before joining the team last year, Watkins had a decorated high school career, being named the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year, making her and Lisa Leslie the only USC players to win the award. 

On the international stage, Watkins earned two gold medals and an MVP award during the 2022 FIBA U17 World Cup and the 2021 FIBA Americas U16 Championship.