USC’s JuJu Watkins Wins Wooden Award, Repeats As Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year, Earns Dawn Staley Award
April 05, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Sophomore guard Watkins is the first Trojan to win all three awards.
USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins has inked her name on another set of prestigious honors, standing tall today as the first Trojan to win the Wooden Award and Dawn Staley Award while also picking up her second selection as the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year.
The John R. Wooden Award, recognizing the most outstanding college basketball players in the nation, was first presented to a women's player in 2005. The Dawn Staley Award began in 2017 and is given annually to a player who exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed throughout her career, ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, in its eighth year, honors the top shooting guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It is named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer, the first player, regardless of gender, to be chosen for an All-America Team in four consecutive college seasons, and is awarded in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Already named the National Player of the Year by The Athletic and Sporting News as well as an All-America First Team pick by the AP, USBWA and Sporting News, Watkins went big in the seven games she played against AP top-10 opponents this season in particular. Watkins posted her 20th career 30-point game to help propel her Trojans to an 80-67 win over rival No. 2 UCLA to claim the Big Ten regular-season championship. The Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins is averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range against top-10 opponents. That's better than her overall and also-impressive averages of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in her sophomore season.
Also this year, 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 their win over then-No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center.
In the USC record books, Watkins ranks No. 9 all-time in career scoring with 1,709 points — having become the fastest Trojan to score 1,000 career points in program history earlier this season — and with the second-most 30-point games by a Trojan. With 38 points and 30 points vs. USC rival UCLA this season, Watkins now has 21 career 30-point games — four shy of Cheryl Miller's career record of 25.
This is Watkins' second season on the AP, Sporting News and USBWA All-America First Teams as well as the Wooden and WBCA Coaches' All-America teams. A Sullivan Award semifinalist,
Earlier this season, Watkins collected AP Preseason All-America status as well as numerous USBWA Drysdale Player of the Week, AP National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week selections.
The Wooden Award winner and top five All-America Team members will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club's "John R. Wooden Awards Show presented by Principal," streaming on ESPN+ on Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m. PDT.
ABOUT THE JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD®
Founded in 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Program™ represents the highest honor in college basketball. It recognizes the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player for both men and women, the Wooden Award All America™ Teams, and annually selects the Wooden Award® Legend of Coaching recipient.
Wooden Award All America Team members must meet or exceed the standards set forth by Coach John Wooden and the Wooden Award® Steering Committee. These qualifications include academic progress toward graduation and maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past Wooden Award winners include some of the greatest names in basketball history: Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07, '08), Maya Moore ('09, '11), Breanna Stewart ('15, '16) and the more recent winners, Caitlin Clark of Iowa ('23, '24) and Zach Edey of Purdue ('23, '24).
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed nearly one million dollars in charitable donations in the names of its All America Team members and has provided more than 1,000 underprivileged children with scholarships to week-long college basketball camps. Wooden Award All America Team members are also invited to celebrate their philanthropic efforts, with the John R. Wooden Award Foundation making contributions in support of their charitable initiatives.
Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award® partners annually with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) to host the Wooden Award® Special Olympics Basketball Day. This event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All America Team members, and coaches during Wooden Award® Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981 or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophallU.
The John R. Wooden Award, recognizing the most outstanding college basketball players in the nation, was first presented to a women's player in 2005. The Dawn Staley Award began in 2017 and is given annually to a player who exemplifies the skills that Dawn possessed throughout her career, ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame's Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, in its eighth year, honors the top shooting guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball. It is named after the Class of 1993 Hall of Famer, the first player, regardless of gender, to be chosen for an All-America Team in four consecutive college seasons, and is awarded in partnership with the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA).
Watkins, who sustained a season-ending injury on March 24 in the NCAA Second Round, won the Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy and was named the Associated Press Player of the Year earlier this week. She has also been named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Year by the USBWA and is one of four finalists for the Wade Trophy, which Miller won in 1985. Freshly placed on the WBCA Coaches' All-America Team and with a place on the John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, she also was a finalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award and a Sullivan Award semifinalist.Dawn Staley on JuJu:
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 4, 2025
"JuJu Watkins is more than a gifted athlete; she is a transformative player who has elevated our sport at an incredibly early stage in her career. A passionate competitor, her creativity and athleticism make her a must watch player and her basketball IQ and… https://t.co/D7Snf7MEcC
Already named the National Player of the Year by The Athletic and Sporting News as well as an All-America First Team pick by the AP, USBWA and Sporting News, Watkins went big in the seven games she played against AP top-10 opponents this season in particular. Watkins posted her 20th career 30-point game to help propel her Trojans to an 80-67 win over rival No. 2 UCLA to claim the Big Ten regular-season championship. The Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins is averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range against top-10 opponents. That's better than her overall and also-impressive averages of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in her sophomore season.
Also this year, 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 their win over then-No. 1 UCLA at Galen Center.
In the USC record books, Watkins ranks No. 9 all-time in career scoring with 1,709 points — having become the fastest Trojan to score 1,000 career points in program history earlier this season — and with the second-most 30-point games by a Trojan. With 38 points and 30 points vs. USC rival UCLA this season, Watkins now has 21 career 30-point games — four shy of Cheryl Miller's career record of 25.
This is Watkins' second season on the AP, Sporting News and USBWA All-America First Teams as well as the Wooden and WBCA Coaches' All-America teams. A Sullivan Award semifinalist,
Earlier this season, Watkins collected AP Preseason All-America status as well as numerous USBWA Drysdale Player of the Week, AP National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week selections.
Previous winners of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award are JuJu Watkins, USC (2024), Zia Cooke, South Carolina (2023), Christyn Williams, UConn (2022), Ashley Owusu, Maryland (2021), Aari McDonald, Arizona (2020), Asia Durr, Louisville (2019) and Victoria Vivians, Mississippi State (2018).JuJu Watkins: The 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 SG to win the Ann Meyers Drysdale award multiple times 🏆 pic.twitter.com/eaciWyApuB
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 5, 2025
The Wooden Award winner and top five All-America Team members will be honored at the Los Angeles Athletic Club's "John R. Wooden Awards Show presented by Principal," streaming on ESPN+ on Friday, April 11 at 5 p.m. PDT.
ABOUT THE JOHN R. WOODEN AWARD®
Founded in 1976, the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Program™ represents the highest honor in college basketball. It recognizes the Wooden Award® Most Outstanding Player for both men and women, the Wooden Award All America™ Teams, and annually selects the Wooden Award® Legend of Coaching recipient.
Wooden Award All America Team members must meet or exceed the standards set forth by Coach John Wooden and the Wooden Award® Steering Committee. These qualifications include academic progress toward graduation and maintaining a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Past Wooden Award winners include some of the greatest names in basketball history: Larry Bird ('79), Michael Jordan ('84), Tim Duncan ('97), Kevin Durant ('07), Candace Parker ('07, '08), Maya Moore ('09, '11), Breanna Stewart ('15, '16) and the more recent winners, Caitlin Clark of Iowa ('23, '24) and Zach Edey of Purdue ('23, '24).
Since its inception, the John R. Wooden Award® has contributed nearly one million dollars in charitable donations in the names of its All America Team members and has provided more than 1,000 underprivileged children with scholarships to week-long college basketball camps. Wooden Award All America Team members are also invited to celebrate their philanthropic efforts, with the John R. Wooden Award Foundation making contributions in support of their charitable initiatives.
Additionally, the John R. Wooden Award® partners annually with Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) to host the Wooden Award® Special Olympics Basketball Day. This event brings together Special Olympics athletes, Wooden Award All America Team members, and coaches during Wooden Award® Weekend at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
About the WBCA:
Founded in 1981, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association is the professional association for coaches of women's and girls' basketball at all levels of competition. The WBCA offers educational resources that coaches need to help make themselves better leaders, teachers and mentors to their players; provides opportunities for coaches to connect with peers in the profession; serves as the unifying voice of a diverse community of coaches to those organizations that control the game; and celebrates those coaches, players and other individuals who excel each year and contribute to the advancement of the sport. For more information, visit us online: WBCA.org, follow @wbca1981 or call 1-770-279-8027.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level—men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors—both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 475 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game's elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum, and events, visit hoophall.com and follow @hoophallU.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb Media Availability 9/18/25
Thursday, September 18
USC WBB's Lindsay Gottlieb, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen | Trojan Press Conference
Monday, March 31
USC WBB heads to the Elite 8, defeats Kansas State in Sweet 16 | Rapid Reaction
Saturday, March 29
Kennedy Smith on USC WBB heading to the Elite Eight, Trojan freshmen getting the job done
Saturday, March 29
