USC sophomore JuJu Watkins offered high praise for WNBA star Caitlin Clark in a tribute video released by Fox Sports Sunday afternoon.
The network released the tribute video honoring Clark’s storied college career at Iowa. Numerous stars offered reflections on that career, as well as Caitlin as a person.
Watkins, who just surpassed a scoring milestone by the basketball star, was one of those to speak.
“Great player, good person as well,” Watkins said. “She’s been great, and I’m really excited for her at this next stage in her career.”
The generational talent, @CaitlinClark22, changed the landscape of college basketball đ
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) November 17, 2024
Look back on her journey with @IowaWBB and the stories from teammates, coaches and opponents âŹď¸ pic.twitter.com/HlFxivyVqv
JuJu Watkins Has Respect For Caitlin Clark
The respect for the game and for the person is remarkable. And JuJu Watkins is showing that in spades regarding Caitlin Clark.
The two share some similarities. They’re both rising stars – Clark in the WNBA and Watkins just in her second year with the Trojans. They’re both prolific scorers where the sky is the limit. They both have the eyes of the basketball world focused upon them.
Watkins, incidentally, just scored her 1,000th career point in 38 games, surpassing the pace at which Caitlin achieved the same mark. Watkins’ scoring prowess has drawn comparisons to Clark, who needed two more games to achieve the feat. And what a historic player to be compared with.
Clark would later become the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer in menâs and womenâs basketball, the first overall draft pick in 2024, and the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Watkins has some time before reaching those milestones – but they certainly seem within her grasp.
RELATED: Watch Out Caitlin Clark: JuJu Watkins Passes Scoring Milestone Faster Than NCAA Record Holder
Respect Is Mutual
It seems safe to say that Caitlin Clark has an equal level of admiration for JuJu Watkins. In fact, according to USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb, Clark kind of passed the torch to her.
“She was like, ‘I had this attention for a year and a half, two years,'” Gottlieb recalled of Clark’s words to Watkins at the Wooden Awards this past April. “She said to JuJu, ‘You’re going to have it for the next three.'”
In addition to that, Clark gave Gottlieb her contact information if she or Watkins felt they needed advice on how to navigate all the attention she was destined to receive.
Watkins set the national record for scoring by a freshman last season. In just four games this season, she has become the 31st player in USC history to reach 1,000 points.
It seems safe to say the spotlight is going to be on her for quite some time.
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