Nike Gives Shoutout To USC Trojans' Juju Watkins After Historic Commercial Featuring Caitlin Clark

Nike posted a shoutout to USC Trojans' Juju Watkins, highlighting her young career with the Trojans after a historic Super Bowl commercial featuring Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles. Watkins and Nike recently signed a Name, Image, Likeness deal.

Angela Miele | Feb 12, 2025

Jan 12, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during a college basketball game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

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USC Trojans women’s basketball star, JuJu Watkins signed an NIL deal with Nike in 2022 when she was just a senior in high school. In October, Watkins and Nike agreed to a multi-year historic extension in one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball. Watkins is having a big season with USC, causing Nike to post a shoutout to the USC guard on social media.

Nike posted a shout out to Watkins calling the sophomore guard a “Hoops Phenom”.

“Hoops Phenom. Fastest woman hooper to score 1,000 points. Dropped 51 points to set the UCS single-game scoring record. Set the USC record for most 300+ point games in a season,” Nike wrote in the Twitter post.

This shoutout comes just one day after the Super Bowl where Nike debuted a commercial revolving around many top female athletes. In addition to Watkins, it featured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson, UCLA gymnast Jordan Chiles, and many more.

Nike’s advertisement was the first time the company has had a Super Bowl commercial since 1998. The advertisement was centered around women athletes being told they can’t do things, such as fill a stadium. The commercial reflects the new “So Win” Brand Anthem, meant to celebrate the power of sport.

“At Nike, we make sure the athlete is at the center of everything we do, from product creation to storytelling,” Nicole Graham, Chief Marketing Officer, NIKE, Inc said. “We are at our best when we are representing the voice of the athlete and their voice becomes our voice. This brand anthem, featuring elite Nike athletes, is a perfect example of how we can inspire everyone to win, whatever that means for them.”

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Watkins is one of the many female athletes having an impact on the growth of women's sports. Watkins is having a stellar 2024-2025 season, leading the team averaging 23.9 points and 2.2 steals per game. She is also averaging 6.7 rebounds. In addition to scoring over 1,000 points, Watkins has scored double-digit points in each game this season and broke the USC single-game three-point record on Dec. 3.

Arenas are filling up just to watch Watkins and the Trojans, even during road games. USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb speaks often about the impact Watkins and the team have had and the growth of women’s college basketball.

Feb 8, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Chance Gray (21) tries to defend during the fourth quarter at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

“I think it’s really unreal. We did we come in here to do a job, trying to get the win, trying to get better at our transition defense or whatever play we’re calling but when you think big picture it really is something,” Gottlieb said. “I’ve said it in LA, JuJu’s had really a cultural impact. I mean that the girls and boys that come to the game. The way that it’s impacted our program. It’s hard to impact winning like this”

At just 19, Watkins is among the top women's college basketball athletes in NIL valuations. This is just the beginning for Watkins, who is just a sophomore with the Trojans and is already having a stellar collegiate career.

The USC Trojans are 21-2, 11-1 in Big Ten conference play. The Women of Troy have a tough final stretch of games to close out the regular season. The No. 6 USC Trojans will face the No. 1 UCLA Bruins at a sold-out Galen Center on Feb. 13. The Battle of LA will tip-off at 7 p.m. PT.

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