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SUGGESTED COVERAGE: USC to face UConn in Elite 8 matchup
SUGGESTED COVERAGE: The Women of Troy hoped to advance
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The Lady Trojans may no longer be dancing, but on Thursday, USC star JuJu Watkins earned a prestigious honor.
The award comes after Watkins suffered a torn ACL during Southern California’s Sweet 16 victory over Mississippi State in the women’s NCAA Tournament.
The Year of JuJu Watkins
What we know:
JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
On Thursday, Watkins was named The Associated Press women’s college basketball Player of the year.
Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for its first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo got the other two. Both were first-team AP All-Americans.
Watkins became just the fourth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP first started giving out the award in 1995 and Watkins is the first Trojans player to win it.
Watkins became just the fourth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP first started giving out the award in 1995 and Watkins is the first Trojans player to win it.
What they're saying:
"I think what’s so significant about this award is that this was a year that didn’t have an absence of talent and stars, and JuJu found a way to elevate herself and her team," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
"She makes a lot of things that aren’t easy look easy," Gottlieb said. "It’s one thing to say she’s a generational talent, but another to actually do it and put yourself up with names like Stewie, Maya and Courtney Paris."
"She performed her best at the biggest moments," Gottlieb said. "I thought she really throughout the course of the year learned how to dominate and empower the others."
USC's average home attendance rose this season
By the numbers:
Watkins is already one of the top draws in the sport with endorsement deals to match and seeing her in person has become a hotter ticket.
The Trojans’ average home attendance rose to 5,932 this season from last year’s 4,421. Celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Kevin Hart, Jason Sudeikis, Michael B. Jordan and Sanaa Lathan, who starred in "Love & Basketball," one of Watkins’ favorite movies, have shown up. The year before she arrived attendance averaged 1,037.
"It’s hard to miss Snoop Dogg in his custom JuJu jacket," Gottlieb said. "This happened organically and authentically. She decided to stay home and cares about her city and has the magnetism to attract people. It’s the way she carries herself. She’s confident, but very humble and true to her community. It’s amazing to see her impact."