"LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and more marvel as JuJu Watkins lights up scoreboard with historic 51-point performance"

USC's JuJu Watkins made history with a 51-point game against Stanford, drawing praise from NBA stars and ESPN's Malika Andrews.

USC Trojans' JuJu Watkins made history with an extraordinary performance against the No. 4 Stanford Cardinals, scoring a remarkable 51 points in a 67-58 victory on Friday.

Watkins' incredible display of skill and talent garnered national attention, receiving praise from NBA superstars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as well as ESPN's NBA Today host Malika Andrews.

LeBron James took to social media to commend Watkins, posting multiple stories celebrating her performance. In one post, he affectionately referred to her as "lil sis," urging her to continue dominating the court.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant shared the USC starting lineup's score on his Instagram story, expressing his amazement at Watkins' stellar performance.

Former NBA players, including Sixth Man of The Year Jamal Crawford and Dorell Wright, also applauded Watkins for her remarkable achievement.

Malika Andrews joined in the chorus of praise, highlighting Watkins' performance on her Instagram by reposting a post from ESPN.

Watkins' historic performance came on the heels of a heartbreaking loss to the Washington Huskies, where the Trojans fell short by just three points. Prior to their game against Stanford, USC had suffered three losses in their last four games.

JuJu Watkins' outstanding performance not only positioned her as a top contender for Freshman of the Year but also propelled her into the conversation for Player of the Year honors.

Scoring 51 points, Watkins now ranks second in Pac-12 history, just behind Kelsey Plum, who scored 57 points in 2017 against Utah. Additionally, she shattered the previous record for most points in three quarters, previously held by Cherry Miller since 1982, by scoring 40 points in just three quarters.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Watkins' performance was that she achieved this feat against Tara VanDerveer, widely regarded as the best coach in the Pac-12. Incredibly, Watkins accounted for 76 percent of all USC Trojan's points in the game.

Her 51-point performance was the result of shooting 14 of 26 from the field, and she also secured 11 rebounds, becoming the only freshman player in Division I to achieve a 50-point double-double. Furthermore, she stands as the only player this season to achieve a 40-point double-double, solidifying her status as a standout player in collegiate basketball.

Share With Others