BREAKING NEWS: JuJu Watkins Joins Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, and Michael Jordan on Gatorade’s Prestigious Roster, Marking a Significant Milestone in Her Career and Solidifying Her Status Among Sports Icons .giang

USC star JuJu Watkins added another big endorsement to her growing portfolio.

Gatorade announced Thursday it signed an NIL deal with the sophomore guard. She’s the third women’s basketball player to strike an agreement with the company, following UConn guard Paige Bueckers and former Iowa guard Caitlin Clark.

“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.” Watkins said. “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.”

This comes days after ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Watkins signed an extension with Nike that was “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball.”

The 19-year-old arrived at USC to great fanfare. The Los Angeles native was the No. 1 recruit in the country and accepted the challenge of returning the Trojans to prominence. Once dominant in the 1980s, the program steadily fell into mediocrity.

It took one year for Watkins to make her presence felt. In 2023-24, she was the second-leading scorer (27.1 points) in Division I behind Clark and set a school record when she dropped 51 points in an upset of fourth-ranked Stanford.

USC also advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, its first trip there since 1994.

Now, fans are eager to see what Watkins and the Trojans have for an encore. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb signed a trio of top-16 recruits, Kennedy Smith, Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell, along with Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen and Oregon State guard Talia von Oelhoffen out of the transfer portal.

Watkins had the highest usage rate (42.8 percent) in the country as a true freshman, per Her Hoop Stats. With a stronger supporting cast around her now, she shouldn’t have to shoulder the same kind of burden.

If that results in a slight dip in her production, it will do little to limit her star power should USC chart a course to the Final Four.