Jujuj Watkins is back on the court for USC Women's Basketball. Watkins returned ot the court for USC against UNLV on Monday after missing over a year recovering from a torn ACL.

Watkins first game back was nothing short of phenomenal.

Watkins scored 21 points, with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 24 minutes, starting strong in her first game in 588 days.

Watkins broke out in 2023-24 as a freshman, leading USC to the Elite Eight against UConn. She played in 34 games that year, averaging 27.1 points per game with 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. The next season, she led the Trojans to the fourth overall seed and the number one seed in the Spokane Regional.

For a second straight season, USC fell in the Elite Eight to UConn, but that game was without Watkins on the court. She had put together another stellar season, scoring 23.9 points, with 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. She dominated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, putting up 22 points and eight rebounds. The next game was against Mississippi State. She played just five minutes, scoring three points with a rebound and an assist before going down with an injury.

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Without Watkins in the lineup, USC was not able to make the same run in the NCAA Tournament as they did the previous year. USC lost in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. They would then win their first-round game against Clemson as a nine seed, but fall to South Carolina in the second round.

The Trojans are 1-0 on the season after their 100-68 win over UNLV. They return to the court on Sunday to face off against Utah State.