Breaking: USC’s JuJu Watkins to join Gatorade’s elite roster

JuJu Watkins continues to add accolades to her collegiate resume. The newest one? Joining Gatorade’s elite athlete roster.

Watkins is the third NCAA NIL basketball player to join Gatorade’s elite roster, joining Paige Bueckers of UConn and Caitlin Clark, who signed her deal in the 2019-20 season when she was still in college playing for Iowa.

The 2022-23 Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year will work with the brand to connect with the next generation of elite athletes. This will include supporting the Gatorade Player of the Year program and appearing in upcoming Gatorade advertising campaigns.

In a press release, Jeff Kearney, the Global Head of Sports Marketing at Gatorade, expressed his excitement about this partnership:

Our Gatorade roster is the most elite in sport, and we’re proud to have signed many of our long-term athlete partners early in their careers. Having a dynamic young talent like Juju join the family is an exciting opportunity to build on the incredible impact she’s already made and leverage our combined platforms to continue moving the game forward.

Watkins also discussed joining Gatorade’s elite roster in the press release:

Gatorade has been a part of my life for years, especially after being named the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2023, so I’m excited to officially be a member of the family. Gatorade partners with the best athletes in the world, so joining this roster is a huge milestone for me as I look towards the future.

Watkins isn’t the first Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year to partner with the brand. Others include Bueckers, Candace Parker, Jayson Tatum and Karl Anthony Towns.

Watkins soon will be starting her sophomore season at USC. Her freshman campaign was sensational, as she averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. She led the Trojans to an Elite Eight appearance and set a Division I record by scoring 51 points in a regular-season matchup against Stanford.

USC is one of the favorites to win the national title this year, and Watkins is a big reason why. You can watch Watkins and USC compete, for the first time, in the Big Ten Conference this fall.