Paige Bueckers stared down JuJu Watkins as UConn-USC birthed the year’s best women’s basketball rivalry
A lot of folks were watching football on Saturday, and for good reason. There were two NFL games on crucial to the playoff chase, and three College Football Playoff games.
But the folks who tuned into FOX on Saturday night for a star-studded and highly anticipated women’s basketball clash were not disappointed. In every way, UConn versus USC delivered.
Aside from this non-conference matchup being between two teams ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll, and two teams expected to compete for spots in the Final Four, the Huskies’ battle with the Trojans featured two of the best players in the country in Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins. The two of them, along with Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, will likely finish in the top three for the National Player of the Year race.
The battle between Bueckers and Watkins more than lived up to the hype as the two of them traded baskets, assists, big-time plays and signature moments.
For Bueckers, one of them came during the third quarter, when she drained a 3-pointer with Watkins closing in on her. Bueckers then stared Watkins down after the ball swished through net in a swaggering way that only Bueckers could.
https://t.co/hH5zcwLW94 pic.twitter.com/PSzb74tHt4
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) December 22, 2024
Earlier in the quarter, Watkins stuffed Bueckers’ shot and then scored on her on the other end, showing off her elite athleticism, instincts and unwillingness to back down from Bueckers.
Juju with the block AND bucket on Paige
(via @CBBonFOX)pic.twitter.com/B7vFOQxThc
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 22, 2024
And Watkins had the last laugh as her Trojans won a down-to-the-wire thriller in the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, 72-70, giving USC some redemption after losing to UConn in the Elite Eight last year. Fans absolutely loved to see two of the sport’s biggest stars clashing again.
In this one, Bueckers finished with 22 points, two assists and three rebounds, while Watkins had 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks. An argument could be made that Watkins outplayed Bueckers on her home floor.
But what is inarguable is that the matchup between them more than lived up to the hype.
This game crazzyyyyy
— Kahleah Copper (@kahleahcopper) December 22, 2024
This is blockbuster basketball… how lucky are we
— Bri Lewerke (@brilewerke) December 22, 2024
Paige is guarding JuJu, aka giving the people what they want!
— Eden Laase-Derouin (@eden_laase) December 22, 2024
JuJu and Paige not shying away from guarding each other either.
This means something to me man.
— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) December 22, 2024
If we’re lucky, this is only the beginning of a budding rivalry between USC and UConn. If we’re really lucky, we’ll see these two face-off again in March Madness for the second consecutive season.