USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins has scored her fifth selection as the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Player of the Week after her instrumental roles in two more conference victories in a week’s span. Arguably her best outing of the season to date came in arguably USC’s biggest game of the season — a 71-58 home victory over previously undefeated and top-ranked rival UCLA. Watkins became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a single game with her work for the Women of Troy that game.

Across that win and USC’s 69-64 road victory at Washington, Watkins averaged 27.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 4.0 blocks, 1.0 steals while shooting 60 percent (9-of-15) from 3-point range, 42.5 percent overall and 80 percent (12-of-15) from the free-throw line. 
With her 38 points vs. UCLA and 17 points at Washington, Watkins has scored in double figures in all 25 games this season. She also scored her 1,500th career point during the UCLA win, and she now ranks No. 13 all-time in scoring at USC with 1,524 career points. The 38-point outburst was Watkins’ 19th career 30-point game (fifth this season).Also with 11 rebounds vs, UCLA, Watkins recorded her sixth double-double this season and 15th as a Trojan. What’s more, Watkins put up a career-high eight blocks vs. the Bruins — third-most in a game by a Trojan — and her six 3-pointers made vs. UCLA tied for the third most threes made by a Trojan in a game. With three more 3-pointers made at Washington, Watkins has hit at least one three in USC’s last 20 games. 

USC’s 71-58 win over No. 1 UCLA was the Trojans’ first over an AP top-ranked opponent since 1983 and second all-time. Now 23-2 overall, USC has recorded 23 regular-season wins in back-to-back seasons — last achieved in the 1983 and 1984 seasons.
Watkins and the Trojans have two ranked opponents coming to Galen Center this week as the regular season finale draws closer. The No. 4 Trojans (23-2, 13-1 Big Ten) are set to host No. 22 Michigan State (19-6, 9-5) at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Feb. 19) before celebrating Senior Day on Sunday (Feb. 23) with a 1 p.m. meeting against No. 25 Illinois (20-5, 10-4).