USC Trojans Women's Basketball Star JuJu Watkins Makes Name, Image, Likeness History

A month after signing an NIL deal with Gatorade and a multiyear extension with Nike, USC Trojans women's basketball star JuJu Watkins became the first student-athlete to a Funko Pop! collectible. It was also announced this week she would star in and executive produce her own show on NBC and Peacock.

Mar 25, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) gets ready to shoot free-throw during an NCAA Women’s Tournament 2nd round game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins continues to be one of the biggest winners of the NIL era that has completely reshaped college athletics, allowing athletes to capitalize off their celebrity status by growing their personal brands. The sophomore made history earlier this week when it was announced that she would become the first women's college basketball player to star in and executive produce her own show. 

The first two episodes of “On the Rise: JuJu Watkins,” will premiere Nov. 23 on NBC and Peacock, the same day No. 3 USC's highly anticipated matchup against No. 6 Notre Dame.

Now, Watkins is making history again by becoming the first active student-athlete with their own Funko Pop collectable. Funko, is a pop culture collectibles company that makes figures from popular superheroes to historic legends like Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali, to current superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Steph Curry. 

Mar 25, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) gets ready to shoot free-throw during an NCAA Women’s Tournament 2nd round game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

“It feels surreal to see myself as a Funko Pop!,” Watkins said. “This is such a fun and exciting way to celebrate my journey through basketball and I hope it brings a little inspiration to other young athletes chasing their dreams.”

The collectible is 4.7 inches tall and has Watkins holding a basketball in the Trojans' white jersey with cardinal and gold trim. It also included her signature bun. The collectible is a limited-edition figure that is available at Funko.com from Nov. 13-27 and costs $20.

Watkins on court dominance in college basketball has drawn massive attention from brands. She was one of the most marketable athletes in the NIL space even before she stepped onto USC’s campus. Tabbed as the No. 1 overall recruit coming out of Sierra Canyon (CA) in the 2023 cycle, Watkins was the first high school player to sign with Klutch Sports, an agency that represents prominent NBA stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a junior and with Nike as a senior. 

A sensational freshman campaign that saw her claim National Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-American honors brought more attention. Watkins landed deals with Lids, Morgan and Morgan Cash App, Celsius Last month, Watkins signed a lucrative multiyear extension with Nike and then became the third student-athlete to sign with Gatorade.

Watkins led USC to their No. 1 seed since 1986 and their first Elite Eight appearance since 1994 last year. The historic season has put a ton of eyes on has the Trojans for the 2024-25 season. USC is off to a 3-0 start, including a 124-39 win over Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. It was the most points in program history, largest margin of victory in the program's history and helped coach Lindsey Gottlieb secure her 300th career win

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