USC women’s basketball won’t merely have JuJu Watkins back this season. That’s a really big deal, to be sure, but it’s part of a much larger context. JuJu Watkins won’t just be back; she has had a lot of time to practice, slowly build back her fitness, and study the game as an observer. Getting JuJu back is just part of the equation for USC. The Trojans are getting a stronger, smarter, more developed version of JuJu. Cece Clay of the USC Women’s Basketball Media Lab talked to analyst-evaluator-consultant Kameo Williams of Gems in the Gym about the evolutionary steps being taken at USC offseason practice.
As people might be inclined to say, “There are layers to this.” Having JuJu on the floor is, by itself, enormous for USC, but that’s just the beginning. JuJu was able to observe the game for a full year and see what teammates Jazzy Davidson and Kennedy Smith had to go through. USC is getting frontcourt reinforcements after not having an elite frontcourt last season. JuJu, coach Lindsay Gottlieb, and the rest of the USC roster were all able to gather critical information and a fuller perspective on how to play together and make relevant adjustments. Those collective adjustments, as much as JuJu Watkins’ presence on the floor, should make USC better than the sum of its very talented parts.
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Be sure to check out Cece Clay’s USC Women’s Basketball Media Lab for lots of offseason videos, USC press conferences, and much more.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC, JuJu Watkins take evolutionary steps in offseason practice
