Getting kicked out of the competition after a hard-fought season is certainly a tough pill to swallow. USC Trojans’ JuJu Watkins had to face a similar situation as they lost to the UConn Huskies and are now out of the Elite Eight of March Madness.
Despite a dominating performance, JuJu Watkins failed to stop the Huskies. Paige Buekers, Watkins’ opponent showed her character by displaying true sportsmanship spirit. The star consoled the 18-year-old as she broke down after giving her everything in the loss.
Watkins and Buekers are two of the biggest stars in women’s college basketball. Therefore, fans anticipated a tough matchup between the duo and the stars did not fail to prove them right. Both players scored a double-double and were the highest scorers for their teams. After incredible performances by both parties, the emotional moment was heartwarming to witness.
The competition was neck-and-neck as there was only a difference of one point from the players’ double-double stat. Bueckers had 28-10 while Watkins had 29-10. Despite the heartbreaking result for Watkins, the Trojans freshman has had an amazing season and expressed being excited for her future.
JuJu Watkins made history as a freshman in the matchup against UConn
Despite the loss, Watkins still managed to take one title to her name. The Trojans guard took the top spot on the NCAA Division I all-time freshman scoring list. The star broke a 40-year-old record held previously by San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson.
JuJu Watkins broke the Division l scoring record. (Image via open source)While entering the game, Watkins only needed seven points to break Hutichinson’s record. After finishing with 29 points, the guard now has 920 points, the most by a Division I freshman all-time. After an emotional loss, Watkins spoke about the record in the post-game press conference. The young player was upset by the result of the game but felt grateful for breaking the record.
It’s definitely an honor. I mean, of course, like I said, not really the terms I would like to end on. On my season, I mean, I’m just blessed.
JuJu Watkins said
Watkins’ talent is certainly not overlooked as she received praise for her achievement despite the loss. NBA icon LeBron James took to his Instagram to congratulate Watkins on her record. The star posted an Instagram story of the freshman’s record and wrote, “Congrats and proud of you!”. Considering this is Watkins’ first year, the player will have many opportunities to win the championship and many more titles.
