Teen Phenom JuJu Watkins Surpasses Caitlin Clark’s Huge Milestone in Scoring Crown Chase

JuJu Watkins, the teenage sensation of USC women’s basketball, has officially eclipsed one of Caitlin Clark’s major milestones. During Sunday night’s Big 10 championship game, Watkins scored 29 points in a 72-67 loss to UCLA, bringing her career total for her first two seasons to 1,684 points—surpassing Clark’s previous benchmark of 1,662 points.

Watkins is now hot on the heels of history, with only Kelsey Mitchell standing in her way for the most points scored by any player in their first two NCAA seasons. Mitchell’s record of 1,762 points is well within Watkins’ reach, especially with the NCAA Tournament just around the corner. It’s like watching a young star chart a path through the galaxy—boundless potential and all eyes on her every move.

For context, Caitlin Clark rewrote the NCAA record books during her time in college, setting the all-time scoring record with 3,951 points in her senior season of 2023-24. Watkins, who has taken over as the face of women’s college basketball since Clark’s transition to the WNBA, openly embraces the challenge and admits the thought of breaking Clark’s record lingers in her mind.

“Naturally, being on pace, it’s always in the back of my mind,” Watkins told Fox News Digital in a past interview. “The goal is to continue to produce at this level, and do it as efficiently as I can.”

While Watkins acknowledges Clark’s prodigious talents, especially as an elite three-point shooter, she humbly admits, “I wish I played like her.” But Watkins has her own strengths, including the ability to captivate a rapidly growing audience for women’s basketball. Last year, the NCAA women’s championship game outdrew the men’s in viewership for the first time ever. That’s a seismic shift for the sport, and it’s safe to say Watkins is playing with the momentum Clark helped build.

Speaking of fans—Watkins has a refreshingly down-to-earth take on the influx of new eyes on women’s basketball. While the attention brings its challenges, including dealing with fans who “don’t always know what they’re talking about,” she embraces the spotlight. “The fact that people are watching is enough in itself,” she said. “We’d like it to be positive, but it’s not always going to be like that. As long as viewership goes up, that’s all we can ask for.”

Watkins even welcomes critics as part of the game, saying, “I love supporters and I also love haters. There’s so many sides to it. It’s the nature of the game.” Can we just pause to appreciate the maturity it takes to turn negativity into fuel?

As she eyes Clark’s scoring crown, Watkins hopes to win over many of these new fans—whether they cheer for her or not. Because at the end of the day, everyone’s watching. And that’s exactly what women’s basketball needs.