“Wherever you go, your genius is going to follow you. ” This was Dawn Staley to the then-high school senior JuJu Watkins as she took an official visit and envisioned her future at the University of South Carolina.
These words, spoken by one of the greatest coaches in women’s basketball history, would prove prophetic.
If you’ve been following the story, you know that Watkins ultimately chose the other USC—the University of Southern California—and had a legendary freshman season. She became the top freshman scorer in DI history and led the Trojans to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994—that was 30 years ago.
You may know JuJu Watkins for her many accolades—the USBWA National Freshman of the Year, the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, and the 2022-23 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year, to name a few. We’ve seen her grit, tenacity, and fierceness on full display on the court. But in “On the Rise: JuJu Watkins”, a new documentary series presented by State Farm, you’ll get an intimate look at the life of the basketball sensation like never before.
The six-episode series on NBC and Peacock follows JuJu Watkins through her senior year of high school, offering an exclusive glimpse at the duality of her life.
In the very first episode, we see this contrast unfold. On one hand, she’s a regular teenager—prepping for homecoming, trying to negotiate a later curfew—but on the other, she’s a basketball prodigy, starring in commercials with LeBron James and signing major NIL deals. It’s the perfect blend of ordinary and extraordinary.
Episode one also provides an in-depth look at Watkins’ senior year at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles and her decision to “stay home” and play collegiately for USC, despite being recruited by women’s college basketball powerhouse South Carolina.
“There’s no place like home so I will be spending the next four years at the University of Southern California,” Watkins announced, surrounded by a crowd of students who erupted in cheers of excitement at her high school gym.
“When I think of USC I think of local, I think of family….,” Watkins expressed. “Everybody was just so welcoming and when you’re looking to create another home [away] from home, it’s important that you’re celebrated and you could just see how close-knit it was [at USC].”
“Her commitment to the community and being grounded in her family, [shows that] she is aware of the impact she could have,” said USC Women’s head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.
“I did it for my city, my community, and I wanted to make it easy to be a part of that journey,” Watkins added.
How can I watch the “On the Rise: JuJu Watkins” documentary on NBC and Peacock?
The first two episodes will premiere on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 3:00 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by the game between Watkins and No. 3 USC vs. No. 6 Notre Dame at 4:00 p.m. ET, live on NBC and Peacock. You can stream the first two episodes on Peacock starting Sunday, November 24. Episodes three through six be released on Peacock throughout the remainder of the season.
How can I watch USC basketball games on Peacock?
You can watch Big Ten basketball games by first subscribing to Peacock. Then, either go to PeacockTV.com/Sports in your web browser or download the Peacock app on your phone, tablet, or streaming device and navigate to the Sports section. See below for the list of USC women’s basketball games that will be streaming on Peacock:
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Northwestern vs USC – January 15 at 10:00 PM ET
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USC vs Indiana – January 19 at 12:00 PM
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USC vs Purdue – January 22 at 7:00 PM
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Minnesota vs USC – January 30 at 10:00 PM
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USC vs Wisconsin – February 5 at 7:30 PM
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UCLA vs USC – February 13 at 10:00 PM
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Michigan State vs USC – February 19 at 9:30
Are all Big Ten Basketball games available to watch on Peacock?
Peacock will stream 56 men’s basketball games and 26 women’s basketball games across the 2024-2025 season. Peacock subscribers will also get the first rounds of both the Big Ten Men’s & Women’s tournament live.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
Students, now you can get Peacock at a special discount — just $1.99/mo for 12 months. Visit Peacock to learn more and get started!
