USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins finished her sophomore season in the spring and, as a result, is not eligible for the WNBA draft until 2027. However, she is already one of the biggest stars in college basketball.
This past season, she averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game. She helped lead her team to a stellar regular season, but an injury in the second round of March Madness ended her season.
Juju Watkins (6’2) is an Inch shorter than Angel Reese (6’3) Taller than Paige Bueckers & Caitlin Clark each (6’0) and is a Guard who Averages 27 PPG Entering her Sophomore year at USC lmao I Promise WNBA Jordan is on the way. pic.twitter.com/mXbF2Lye4G
— Prosody Trip (@TripBayless24) August 14, 2024
Since Watkins is still two years away from being drafted, it is challenging to judge which team she will end up on. However, as things stand, she is viewed by most experts as the best player in her class and the frontrunner to be the No. 1 pick in 2027. Here are some interesting possible landing spots for her.
Early 2027 Draft Landing Spots for JuJu Watkins
#1 Toronto Tempo
The WNBA underwent expansion after the 2024 season as the Golden State Volkyries became the 13th team in the WNBA. This season in 2025 is their first in the WNBA. The league is scheduled to undergo expansion again following the 2025 season. Both the Toronto Tempo and an unnamed Portland team are set to start play in the 2026 season.
As a result, there is a chance that JuJu Watkins could end up on the league’s first Canadian team. As an expansion team, there is a good chance that the Tempo will not be good in 2026. As a result, they should have a good chance of winning the draft lottery and earning the right to draft Watkins with the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft.
#2 Portland (Unnamed)
All the reasons JuJu Watkins could end up with the Toronto Tempo remain for why she could end up in Portland. Portland’s WNBA team has not received a name yet, but it will join the league at the same time as Toronto. Sometime after the 2025 season, whether it is late in 2025 or early in 2026, there will be an expansion draft. As an expansion team, Portland will likely be in the running for the No. 1 pick in 2027.
#3 Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky have struggled in recent years despite acquiring one of the best young stars in the WNBA in the 2024 draft, Angel Reese. If the Sky are still bad in a few years, adding a young star guard like Watkins to play with Reese, who is a star forward, would be hugely beneficial.
#4 Dallas Wings
The Dallas Wings just won the draft lottery and selected Paige Bueckers with the first pick. As a result, there is a chance that the Wings will be good in a few years. However, sometimes it takes more than one good player to make a team. Adding Watkins to the team’s backcourt would give it one of the most dynamic pairs of scoring guards in recent years.
#5 Connecticut Sun
The Connecticut Sun have been successful in recent years, reaching at least the semifinals for the past several seasons. However, the start of the 2025 season has been disastrous, and they sit at the bottom of the league standings. So, the team could be in a position for a rebuild and adding JuJu Watkins would be hugely beneficial.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball.
