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USC Freshman Star Watkins Signs NIL Partnerships with NerdWallet

Pac-12 Freshman of the Year will share NIL contract publicly, revealing terms to help keep her accountable

Michael Ehrlich

USC Freshman Star Watkins Signs NIL Partnerships with NerdWallet
USC Freshman Star Watkins Signs NIL Partnerships with NerdWallet /
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Adding another NIL deal to her growing portfolio, No. 3 USC freshman sensation JuJu Watkins has partnered with personal finance brand NerdWallet to help her manage her bank account.

The nation's second-leading scorer (27 points per game) - behind Iowa's Caitlin Clark - Watkins led the Women of Troy to a Pac-12 Tournament title and certainly a top seed in the NCAA Tournament.

With her on and off-court success this season - including NIL deals with Nike, CELSIUS, Cash App, Ritz, Poppi and Morgan & Morgan Law Firm - her latest partnership with NerdWallet will provide some needed financial planning benefits to the freshman star.

"As an athlete, I'm always looking for ways to level up my game," Watkins shared. "Teaming up with NerdWallet is an exciting and natural move towards securing my financial future. NerdWallet puts the ball in my court by offering the guidance and tools to help me invest in myself."

According to the brand, this is "the Smartest NIL deal ever," and will empower Watkins - a finalists for the 2024 Dawn Staley Award - to build a secure financial future by making smarter financial choices with the earnings. She is actually contractually obligated to commit to a NerdWallet smart money decision as a part of the deal and will share her contract publicly, revealing the terms that she's agreed to with their fans and followers to help keep her accountable.

As part of Watkins' collab with NerdWallet, consumers can purchase, limited-edition wallets curated by sneaker designer, The Shoe Surgeon. Fans are encourage to tune into Watkins' social media posts on Tuesday, March 19 for more details.

With a Pac-12 Tournament title in hand, Watkins and the Women of Troy await Selection Sunday this weekend to see where they stack up in the NCAA Tournament. USC is likely to be selected as a top seed and host for the first two rounds.

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Michael Ehrlich
MICHAEL EHRLICH

Michael Ehrlich is a seasoned sports marketing executive with experience across the global sports brand, athlete representation, media and education sides of the business. The Founder and CEO of Playbook Marketing, Ehrlich consults with brands on all things NIL and athlete partnerships, advises student-athletes on their personal brand building endeavors and is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, the University of Southern California where he teaches a course on athlete communications and marketing. As a writer, his previous bylines include Boardroom, Business of College Sports, DIME Magazine and UPROXX, among others. You can follow him across social media at @MichaelEhrlich and reach out via michael@playbook-marketing.com

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