Source: MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images / Getty
At just 19, Juju Watkins hasn’t even entered her sophomore season at USC, and she is already taking advantage of the NIL rules.
The basketball player originally signed a deal with Nike in 2022. Still, the extension makes it one of the most lucrative shoe deals in women’s basketball, a sign of more eyes deservingly being brought to the game.
In one of his first big scoops as an ESPN employee, Shams Charania delivered the news of Watkins, who is sure to sit atop the 2027 draft class.
“USC sophomore phenom JuJu Watkins has agreed on a multiyear contract extension with Nike that will give her one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball,” Charania revealed on X.
Nike officials finished discussions Tuesday on the deal, with negotiations led by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and Watkins’ team, including agent Jade-Li English, head of marketing Eric Eways and vice president of basketball marketing Brittany McCallum.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 8, 2024
The deal’s specifics have yet to be revealed, as talks just wrapped up on Tuesday. They were led by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, his head of marketing and vice president of basketball marketing, across from Watkins’ team, including agent Jade-Li English.
The extension proves that Nike believes that the growing potential for women’s basketball is infinite, as well as that of Watkins.
When the Swoosh first signed Watkins in 2022, she was just a high school senior, but her four-year career already saw her averaging 21 points a game and being named Los Angeles Times player of the year. She’d transfer to the famed youth basketball program Sierra Canyon, where she still led the pack, averaging 27 points her senior year, and the team recorded a 31-1 record.
A highly touted five-star recruit, she stayed on the West Coast, attending USC as her talent grew. She even broke an NCAA Division 1 freshman scoring record with 920 points, second to Caitlin Clark that season.
Nike already has a stacked group of men’s talent, including LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant. However, it is turning the tide with top-notch women’s basketball players like Sabrina Ionescu, A’ja Wilson, and now Juju Watkins.
See how social media is reacting to the Nike extension below.
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