On a memorable Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Caitlin Clark took a moment to shine the spotlight on another rising star in college basketball—USC’s JuJu Watkins.
Clark, now a guard for the Indiana Fever, returned to Iowa for the Hawkeyes’ highly anticipated matchup against USC. The game, played in front of a sold-out crowd, ended with Iowa securing a 76-69 victory over the fourth-ranked Trojans. The day was particularly special as Iowa honored Clark by retiring her iconic No. 22 jersey after the game.
During the third quarter, Clark joined the FOX broadcast and shared her admiration for Watkins’ performance and talent.
“I’ve talked to JuJu a little bit,” Clark said. “I usually just watch from a distance, but more than anything, I just try to be supportive. She doesn’t need my help.
“She’s obviously really talented, and her game speaks for itself. She’s so fun to watch. As you can tell from our scouting report, it was all about No. 12. That just shows how much respect we have for her.”
Clark continued to praise Watkins during her jersey retirement speech, wishing both her and the USC team success for the rest of the season.
After the game, Watkins returned the admiration, saying, “I’m a big fan of hers, so seeing her get her flowers is amazing.”
Clark, who made history as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball with 3,951 points, shattered numerous records before being selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever.
Meanwhile, Watkins finished her freshman season with an impressive 920 points, surpassing Clark’s first-year total of 799. With a long road ahead, Watkins is already on track to potentially surpass Clark’s record.
As these two stars continue their record-breaking journeys, fans can only anticipate the day they’ll share the WNBA court. The leag
ue better be ready.
