Southern California basketball star Juju Watkins will miss the entire 2025-26 season because of the torn ACL in her right knee suffered in last spring’s NCAA tournament.
The news raises the question of when her next game will be — and in what league. Has Watkins played her final game in college?
The answer is a bit complicated.
The 6-foot-2 guard was instantly one of the best players in college basketball as a true freshman in 2023-24, averaging 27.1 points with 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She followed that up by averaging 23.9 points with 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists last season while leading USC to a No. 1 seed in March Madness.
The Wooden Award and Naismith Player of the Year last season will be missed by the college basketball world this season.
Here’s a look at Watkins’ WNBA draft eligibility and when she could leave college basketball for the next level:
JuJu Watkins WNBA draft eligibility
Some fans might not realize Watkins is headed into her junior year in 2025-26, due to how impressive she has been so early in her career. She presumably has two seasons of college eligibility left, as she can apply for a medical redshirt following her injury.
Being eligible for the WNBA draft is different than most sports, as players must either graduate or turn 22 years old in the year of the draft — whichever comes first. For Watkins to be eligible for the 2026 WNBA draft, she would have to graduate college early.
That’s not out of the realm of possibility, as athletes graduating early isn’t rare — whether by enrolling early or taking summer classes. Watkins’ graduation progress is unknown.
JuJu Watkins age
Watkins, born on July 15, 2005, is 20 years old. She won’t turn 22 years old until July 2027, which means she would have to graduate early to be eligible to leave college for the WNBA after the 2025-26 season.
Juju Watkins stats
Here are Watkins’ year-by-year stats in college:
2023-24 (USC): 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists per game on 40.1% shooting with 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
2024-25 (USC): 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists per game on 42.6% shooting with 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
