Caitlin Clark at risk of seeing record smashed by rising basketball star

Rising college basketball star Juju Watkins is being touted as the next Caitlin Clark .

However, her on-court performance suggest the 19-year-old might soon outshine the Indiana Fever icon.

Clark made her name at the University of Iowa , where she became the highest scorer in NCAA Division I history with 3,951 points during her four-year tenure with the Hawkeyes.

Watkins, who represents the USC Trojans in the Big Ten Conference, has achieved 1,000 career points in just 38 games, two games quicker than Clark .

Only 10 months after the former Hawkeye star's impressive run, the Trojan prodigy has already accumulated 1,353 career college points.

She has also scored 30 points or more in 18 games, while Clark managed this feat 23 times throughout her college career.

While Watkins still has a distance to cover to surpass Clark's record, her remarkable average of 25.5 points this season indicates she could be on track to break the record.

She will also be aiming for Clark's other records, such as assists, although with her current tally at 178, she needs to put in more work to reach Clark's 1,144, reports the Irish Star .

Watkins has also bagged two gold medals with the USA women's international team at the youth level, at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship and FIBA U17 World Cup, and this season, she has been outscoring stars like UConn Huskies' Paige Bueckers .

As a senior at Sierra Canyon School, Watkins was hailed as the top recruit in her class by ESPN and took home national high school player of the year honors.

Her collegiate debut with the Trojans was nothing short of spectacular, as she racked up 32 points in an 83-74 upset over No.

7 Ohio State, shattering the USC record for points in a freshman debut, previously held by four-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie.

Watkins continued to dazzle, scoring a career-high 51 points and snagging 11 rebounds in a 67-58 win over Stanford just two months later.

Her remarkable freshman season at USC was marked by 27.1 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, earning her first-team All-American honors and propelling the Trojans to a 29-6 record alongside an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Her exceptional talent has even caught the attention of Hall of Fame NBA coach George Karl, who boldly claimed that Watkins could hold her own in the NBA.

"As good as Caitlin Clark is, I'm thinking Juju Watkins may even be better," Karl posted on social media, adding: "She looks to have the size, athleticism and talent to even compete in the NBA at some level!".

Watkins' influence also extends far beyond the court, much like Fever star Clark.

Her Trojans head coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, noted that young fans are now emulating Watkins' signature bun hairstyle, a testament to the starlet's growing impact on the sport.

"JuJu's really had a cultural impact," Gottlieb told USA Today.

"The girls and boys that come to the game, the way that it's impacted our program it's hard to impact winning like this, right? She came and impacted winning.

Got other great players to come.

...

They start to talk about that, and little girls can see them, and they can wear the bun, and they can aspire to be like these women." Watkins is not only a sensation when it comes to the scoreboard but also appears to be a trailblazer in business.

Featured in NBC's docuseries 'On the Rise: JuJu Watkins', she has also forged new paths with historic NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals, partnering with top-tier brands like Nike, State Farm, Gatorade, and Beats by Dre.

Yet, perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Watkin's burgeoning fame at just 19, has been her astounding move to become an investor in the Unrivalled League, a 3-on-3 women's basketball league featuring WNBA icons such as Angel Reese and Lexie Hull.

Watkins has joined an elite circle in the league's latest $28-million investment round, with high-profile figures like Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, Minnesota Timberwolves' own Joe Ingles, renowned South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley, and Olympic stalwart Michael Phelps.

While her financial future appears secure, Watkins' on-court promise positions her as a likely WNBA star of tomorrow.

But she'll need to be patient before squaring off against luminaries such as Clark and Reese.

To qualify for the WNBA draft, homegrown talent must hit the age of 22 within the draft year or have completed college within three months prior, according to the Los Angeles Times .

This age stipulation has been woven into the league's collective bargaining fabric since its inaugural contract in 1999, potentially postponing Watkins' draft day excitement until 2027.

USC's assistant coach Chris Koclanes is convinced the young player already possesses pro-league chops however.

"If I'm being completely honest, I think she could come off the bench and be a spark plug for somebody right now," he said.

"She would have to adapt because from high school to college, now college to the pro, it's a whole other level of speed, physicality.

But the way she's been able to adjust already here, she's going to be able to do it." While Watkins' WNBA debut might be a bit further down the line, fans of the future star can watch her in action when The Trojans go head-to-head with Purdue Boilermakers at 7pm ET on Wednesday, January 22..

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