USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb is no stranger to fielding calls about her star guard, JuJu Watkins. However, in a landscape reshaped by Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise, the stakes have never been higher. Gottlieb disclosed to The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch that orchestrating a game with the potential to challenge Clark’s unprecedented viewership records this season required a staggering 25 calls with a major network to secure the showcase.
Watkins, a dynamic Los Angeles native, is the ideal centerpiece for such a spectacle. Opting to stay local, she has been pivotal in revitalizing a Trojans program that has languished since the Cheryl Miller era. Leading USC to its first Elite Eight appearance since 1994 in her freshman season, Watkins has become a transformative figure. She’s already being compared to Clark, both in terms of skill and her pursuit of statistical milestones. According to Gottlieb, pair Watkins with the biggest stars in college hoops, and it’s inevitable that viewership records will topple.
As USC gears up for a nationally televised clash against Hannah Hidalgo and No. 6 Notre Dame, Watkins continues to dazzle on the court, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.0 blocks, and 3.8 steals per game. The matchup, broadcast on NBC, will precede the premiere of On The Rise: JuJu Watkins, a documentary executive produced by LeBron James, further amplifying the spotlight on the rising star.
The showdown against Notre Dame sets the stage for an even more highly anticipated game later in December. On Dec. 21, USC will travel to face UConn and Paige Bueckers in a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight. With Fox scheduling the game immediately following an NFL matchup expected to draw 18 million viewers, the potential audience for Watkins versus Bueckers is immense. The battle will not only be a clash of collegiate titans but also a chance for Watkins to cement her legacy while avenging last season’s defeat.
Reflecting on these opportunities, Gottlieb remains optimistic. “I think we will break these viewership records eventually,” she said. She believes that as players like Watkins and others at this elite level captivate audiences, perceptions of women’s basketball will evolve, leading to deeper investment. While Caitlin Clark and Iowa have dominated viewership figures in the past, the USC-UConn matchup may become the most-watched women’s college basketball game of the year, if not a record-breaking moment for the sport.
