LOS ANGELES -- The 2025-26 USC Women's basketball season kicked off Tuesday night on a high note as the Women of Troy showed out in their season opener, defeating the New Mexico State Aggies by a lofty 87-48 landslide. But even before the game tipped off, vibes were high at the Galen Center as USC star JuJu Watkins was showcased on the court as she received the 2025 John R. Wooden Award.
Despite Watkins announcing that she will miss the 2025-26 season due to solely focusing on her recovery after tearing her ACL during the second round of the NCAA tournament last year, Watkins' presence for the 2025-26 season will not dissipate as she has taken on a new role, even if that means not playing a single minute of regulation.
Watkins was seen on the USC sideline of the season opener, cheering on her teammates and being an active presence on the bench. When you have someone who has the caliber that JuJu Watkins does, actively bringing a positive and mentor-like force into this newly established women's team, it can open up a whole new attitude that the Women of Troy can bring into 2025 and beyond.
"She's hyped," USC Women's Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in remarks on Watkins' new role on the bench. "She's going to be hyped for her teammates, and that's just naturally who she is, and we are going to take everything we can get from her in terms of the way she pours into the team."
With the season opener now behind them, the Trojans look ahead to a lengthy season that will come with many ups and downs, but having Watkins on the sideline giving her teammates as much support as she possibly can should soften the blows that a long season brings.