JuJu Watkins threatens Caitlin Clark's NCAA scoring record

In the current NCAA basketball season, JuJu Watkins, a sophomore at the University of Southern California (USC), is demonstrating exceptional performance, putting her in a favorable position to surpass several of Caitlin Clark's long-standing records. As of December 2024, Watkins has already accumulated 1,142 points and achieved 376 field goals over a span of just 38 games, showing a remarkable trajectory early in her collegiate career. This statistics indicate a significant advantage over Clark's freshman performance, where she secured 266 total field goals and 920 points in her inaugural year at Iowa. Watkins also leads the NCAA with a .476 field goal percentage, potentially surpassing Clark's best performance in that category. This achievement is particularly noteworthy since her scoring strategy heavily relies on effective 2-point shooting, which accounted for nearly all of her points during her freshman year—553 out of 920 points were scored through 2-point shots. For context, Clark's highest single-season 2-point shot total was 359 during her sophomore year. Given these statistics, it is evident that Watkins' approach to scoring is both aggressive and effective, positioning her as a formidable competitor in the league. Beyond her scoring prowess, Watkins has set herself apart with the number of 2-point field goals made; she has already notched 22 in just the first eight games of the season, eclipsing Clark's single-season best of 68 achieved during her historic senior year. While Clark has excelled in assists throughout her career, leading the nation every year from her freshman season, Watkins is working to establish herself in this area as well, although she has yet to match Clark's impressive numbers. Looking ahead, the matchup between Watkins and Clark is highly anticipated, as they are expected to face off during Clark's fourth and final season. As a significant event in the sports calendar, it is suggested that the implications of this competition may rock the foundations of NCAA women's basketball, given both players' potential to rewrite the record books. As the Olympic Games approach in 2028 in Los Angeles, where Watkins hails from, her career trajectory will be under close scrutiny, particularly regarding possible Olympic selections that could follow her ascent in professional basketball rivaling her predecessors like Clark.