Women’s basketball star USC Juju Watkins surpassed one of Caitlin Clark’s The biggest turning point on Sunday night and took another step closer to crossing Clark in Basketball Basketball Books.
In a 72-67 loss For UCLA in the Big 10 Championship game, Watkins put 29 points to officially cross Clark’s Mark for points that the player scored during their first two seasons.
Clark put 1,662 points in the first two seasons, while Watkins now has 1,684. It puts Watkins right behind Kelsey Mitchell for most of any player in the first two seasons, because Mitchell holds the record with 1,762.
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Women’s basketball player USC Juju Watkins before the recent match on Cal St. Long at Long Beach, California, December 21, 2023. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
However, Watkins has the opportunity to surpass Mitchell and get even more soil on Clark, because she has not yet played at this year’s NCAA tournament.
Watkins has the opportunity to overthrow Clark’s record for most points scored by a basketball player, male or woman, in the history of NCAA. Clark broke the mark on his historic senior season 2023-24, with 3,951.
Watkins replaced Clark as a basketball face at the Faculty of Women’s Faculty after Clark started his career at WNBA last year, and the teen admits that breaking Clark’s record is something he holds in his head.
“Natural, to be up to date, it’s always in my head,” before Watkins said Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. “The goal is to continue to produce this level and do what they can effectively.”
Watkins could benefit from playing more games than Clark did in college while a teenager looks like he would chase the record.
Southern California’s guardian Juju Watkins signs autographs after a women’s basketball game of NCAA against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday, November 12, 2024 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Still, Watkins said he just “wanted” to play like Clark, who is far and far from a better scorer in 3 points.
“I wish I was playing like her,” Watkins said.
Watkins had the opportunity to knock down Clark’s record in front of a larger audience for women’s basketball than in previous years, due to Clark’s transcendent impact on sports during his college career. Last year, the game of NCAA Championships in the Women’s Championship received more spectators than male for the first time in history.
“Attention has not always been there, so we just see the eyes and people who respect the sport more, and young girls are more in sports, it is dream come true,” Watkins said.
Watkins accepted new fans that Clark brought into the game, even when other prominent women’s basketball figures condemned new fans for negative comments about players except Clark.
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Caitlin Clark, left and Juju Watkins. (Imagine)
“So many new fans who are in sports sometimes can be, not necessarily challenging, but I can only give you a little headache. Not many people know what they are talking about sometimes. But it’s great for sports. The fact that people watch is sufficient by itself,” Watkins said when he had previously asked Fox News Digital exclusive interview As for the challenge with the new care of the sport.
“We would love to be positive, but it will not always be so, as long as we continue to raise numbers and the viewership increases, I think that is all we can look for.”
Watkins said she even wanted these fans to cheer for her too. However, even if they “hate it”, it will continue to accept the fact that they pay attention. Asked if he wanted sports a controversial new fans to cheer for her and Watkins replied, “Oh. I love fans and I love hatred.
“I think it’s just part of the game. It’s so much side. So it’s the nature of the game and there will always be negative and positive aspects of that.”
While Watkins looks like a Clark scoring record, it hopes that many new female basketball fans, even those who cause her “headaches” and “don’t know what they are talking about sometimes” will come to cheer for her. But Watkins will also accept those fans and attention if they “hate it”.
“I love fans and I also love haters.”
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