USC Trojans Women's Basketball: JuJu Watkins Favorite for NCAA Player of the Year?

The No. 3 USC Trojans women's basketball enters the 2024-25 with lofty expectations and of the one of the most talented rosters. Four players have been named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List: JuJu Watkins, Talia von Oelhoffen, Kiki Iriafen and Rayah Marshall

Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; USC guard JuJu Watkins and USC forward Kiki Iriafen take a question at the podium during the 2024 Big Ten Womenís Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images / Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

The No. 3 USC Trojans women’s basketball team have one of the most deep and talented rosters in the country for the 2024-25 season. Four players have named to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List: guards JuJu Watkins and Talia von Oelhoffen, forward Kiki Iriafen and center Rayah Marshall. 

Watkins is one of the biggest draws in college athletics after a sensational freshman season, where she averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists, earning Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-American honors. The former five-star prospect also won best breakthrough athlete at The ESPYS to add to an impressive resume. 

“She’s comeback a better players as a sophomore,” said USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “She really worked on her game all summer, she’s grown into her leadership voice, she’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever seen and been around. She only wants to get better.”

Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; USC guard JuJu Watkins and USC forward Kiki Iriafen take a question at the podium during the 2024 Big Ten Womenís Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images / Melissa Tamez-Imagn Images

The Trojans added grad transfers von Oelhoffen from Oregon State and Iriafen from Stanford to bolster their roster. Von Oelhoffen averaged 10.7 points, 5.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals and led the Beavers to an appearance in the Elite Eight last season. She was also added to Nancy Lieberman Award watch list. 

Iriafen appeared in 104 games, including 63 starts across three seasons with the Cardinal. She averaged 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds last season.

“We were at the stage of the build in this program where it didn’t feel like a rebuild,” Gottlieb said. “But if our goal is to win at the highest level, we knew the South Carolina’s and the UConn’s weren’t going to go backwards or stand pat, so we went into the portal and got Kiki Iriafen, a grad transfer from Stanford and TVO (Talia von Oelhoffen) from Oregon State and we felt like they’ve done a lot of winning in their career. They’re both pro level players after this and we thought they could take us to another level with our versatility and our ability to put different lineups on the floor and they’ve both been better than advertised.”

Marshall has appeared in 88 games, with 64 starts in her Trojans career, averaging 11.3 points and 9.9 rebounds. 

Apr 1, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket during the second half against UConn Huskies guard Nika Muhl (10) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center. / Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

USC is coming off one of its best seasons in program season. After securing their first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament since 1986, the Trojans reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 before falling to UConn, but Gottlieb’s squad has their eyes set on making a run at the National Championship this season. 

“When you lose in the Elite Eight, that’s a tough place to lose,” Gottlieb said. “We had a lot of gratitude for what that team was able to do but the second that game ends the standard has been raised, you know the bar has been raised. I think I’d be lying if I said we don’t have goals in our eyes set on going to the final four, winning a national championship.”

The Trojans officially open the 2024-25 season on Monday, Nov. 4 against the Ole Miss Rebels at the Adidas Arena in Paris, France. 

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