JuJu Watkins Scores 21 Points in Return as No. 3 USC Routs UNLV 100-68

JuJu Watkins scored 21 points in her first game in 589 days as No. 3 USC opened its season with a 100-68 win over UNLV at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Monday.

Watkins added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block in 25 minutes, according to USA TODAY Sports. She scored 11 points in the third quarter, when USC shot 70% from the field and outscored UNLV 31-10.

Watkins was playing for the first time since she tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee during the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. She redshirted last season while recovering. In her first two seasons at USC, she averaged 25.6 points per game and led the Trojans to the Elite Eight as a freshman in 2024, the program’s deepest NCAA Tournament run in more than two decades, USA TODAY reported.

A fast start after a long absence

USC led 29-15 after the first quarter and 48-33 at halftime. The Trojans led 83-49 after three quarters. Watkins scored her first points on a drive into the paint, then completed a three-point play at the free-throw line.

UNLV shot 35% from the field for the game. Meadow Roland, the Mountain West preseason player of the year, finished with seven points.

Davidson and Hall add scoring

Sophomore guard Jazzy Davidson led USC with 23 points, and freshman Saniyah Hall scored 22 points in her college debut. Hall hit a three-pointer in the final second of the first quarter, and Davidson went 5-for-5 in the second quarter for 11 points in that period.

USC finished 18-14 last season and reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 9 seed without Watkins, beating Clemson in the first round before losing to South Carolina. The Trojans are seeking their first national championship since 1984.

Reporting based on coverage by USA TODAY Sports.