JuJu Watkins began counting wins weeks before his Southern California team takes the court for the start of the college basketball season.
Watkins signed an endorsement deal, announced Tuesday, with Gatorade, NIL’s latest global deal for the foundation that puts her on a roster of world-class athletes headed by Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
USC advanced to the Elite Eight thanks to Watkins’ phenomenal freshman season in 2023-24. She set the NCAA women’s basketball record for points by a freshman with 920.
Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, the major agency that represents LeBron James, represents Watkins.
Days after his endorsement deal with Nike was extended, Watkins officially announced that he will be joining the Gatorade brand.
“Gatorade has been a part of my life for years, especially after being named the Gatorade National Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in 2023, so I am excited to officially be a member of the family,” Watkins said in a statement. “Gatorade partners with the best athletes in the world, so joining this list is a huge milestone for me as I look to the future.”
Bueckers, a senior who did not play on the university’s team, opted to return to UConn for the next season after being eliminated from the NCAA tournament by Clark and Iowa in the Final Four. It does not have agreements with Bose, Crocs, Gatorade, Nike, US Army, Dunkin’ Donuts, Nerf and StockX.
The week of major deals for Watkins adds to a growing NIL portfolio and underscores her position as heir to the women’s college basketball throne occupied by Clark and Angel Reese (LSU) in recent seasons. Her current paid deals and endorsements also include Dove, NerdWallet, Wells Fargo, Poppi, and Celsius.
“Our Gatorade roster is the most elite in sports. We are proud to have signed many of our long-time athlete partners early in their careers,” added Jeff Kearney, global director of sports marketing for Gatorade. “Adding a dynamic young talent like JuJu to the family is an exciting opportunity to continue building on the incredible impact he has already generated and leverage our combined platforms to continue moving the sport forward.”
Watkins was the NCAA’s second-leading scorer last season, behind only Clark.
As a production comparison, Watkins is on pace to score 3,680 points if he plays four seasons. Clark became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s basketball with 3,951 points in one season for the Hawkeyes.
Clark took the mark from Kelsey Plum, who had 3,527 points in Washington.
–Field level media
