JuJu Watkins drops 21 points in long-awaited return from ACL injury to lead No. 3 USC past UNLV in opener

After spending roughly 19 months away recovering, JuJu Watkins finally made her official return to the court on Monday afternoon in Las Vegas. Watkins led No. 3 USC to a blowout 100-68 win over UNLV to officially kick off the 2026-27 campaign at T-Mobile Arena. It marked her first real outing since she tore her ACL during the NCAA tournament in 2025. Watkins dropped 21 points and shot 9-of-22 from the field in the dominant outing. She dropped 11 points in the third period alone, too, while the Trojans outscored UNLV 31-10 to blow the game wide open.