USC phenom JuJu Watkins is widely considered to be the next big thing that will follow the likes of Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark into the WNBA. It’s not only on the basketball hardwood where she is catching all the limelight, she achieved a major career milestone off the field.
According to Brandon1an, Watkins is getting her very first Nike player-exclusive GT Future sneaker. Watkins celebrated this achievement by resharing the news on her Instagram stories.
Nike announced that JuJu will be receiving not one, but two exclusive colorways of the brand-new Nike G.T. Future model. The kicks are set to drop in Spring/Summer 2026. The highly anticipated “Future JW” collection comes in:
- Black/Deep Burgundy/Electro Green
- Metallic Silver/Chalk/Light Crimson
According to Sole Retriever, the sneakers follow the G.T. Future line’s high-performance DNA, adjusted and acclimatized to today’s style of play.
USC Star JuJu Watkins Seals Landmark NIL Extension with Nike
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This will be JuJu Watkins’ first player-exclusive sneaker, following the NIL deal she signed in October, reportedly one of the largest shoe endorsement deals in women’s college basketball. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that it’s a multi-year contract and Watkins’ agent Klutch Sports negotiated the deal on her behalf. Before this deal, Nike also signed Watkins when she was a high school senior in 2022.
The deal came after Watkins made history by becoming the all-time leading scorer in her freshman season. She scored 920 points in the 2023-24 season, surpassing San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson’s record of 898 points registered in the 1983-84 season.
Not only that, in the same season, Watkins just trailed Caitlin Clark in scoring by recording 27.1 points per game. She led USC to the Elite Eight as well.
Watkins’ numbers dipped last season. Across 33 games, she averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. She shot 42.6%, including 32.5% from three and 82.0% from the free throw line. This pales in comparison to her freshman season, where she averaged 27.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg.
Despite the dip, her numbers were good enough to win AP Player of the Year (only the fourth sophomore ever), Naismith & Wooden Awards winner and USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Player of the Year.
However, in the NCAA Tournament, USC took a major blow after she tore her ACL in the second round vs. Mississippi State, abruptly ending her sophomore season. She will miss significant time and could miss all of the 2025-26 season as well.
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