USC guard JuJu Watkins was named the women’s 2025 Naismith National Player of the Year on Wednesday.
The sophomore sensation averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, lifting the Trojans to a 31-4 record and 17-1 conference mark. USC was the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament Spokane 4 region but Watkins suffered a torn ACL in her right knee in a second-round matchup with Mississippi State. The Trojans eventually lost to UConn in the regional final.
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The Los Angeles native was selected for the Naismith Award over UConn’s Paige Bueckers (who won the award as a freshman), Notre Dame‘s Hannah Hidalgo and Lauren Betts of cross-town rival UCLA.
Watkins adds the Naismith Award to a list of honors including Big Ten Player of the Year and being named a unanimous first-team All-American.
UCLA’s Cori Close wins Naismith National Coach of the Year
The Big Ten’s Los Angeles schools swept the women’s Naismith Awards with UCLA’s Cori Close winning national coach of the year.
During her 14th season in Los Angeles, the Bruins finished with a 34-2 record and 16-2 mark in the Big Ten. UCLA won the Big Ten tournament championship in its first year in the conference.
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In the NCAA tournament, UCLA has advanced to the first women’s Final Four in program history and is pursuing its first national championship.
Close has compiled a 321-142 record at UCLA (a .693 winning percentage) with eight seasons of 25 or more wins and nine NCAA tournament appearances. During the past three seasons, the Bruins have an 88-19 record.
