JuJu Watkins came back with 21 points in 25 minutes, but the conversation around her return quickly turned from the scoreline to what she still might not be ready to show. After a 19-month absence, Watkins played for USC in a 100-68 win over UNLV, and the first read from some observers was not celebration but caution.
That matters now because Watkins is already being discussed as a 2027 WNBA Draft prospect, and her return landed under a spotlight that usually belongs to finished products. 's October 27 mock draft projected her as the No. 1 overall selection, putting her in the same early conversation that once surrounded Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers before they entered the WNBA as No. 1 picks.
The numbers from the game were promising, but they were not spotless. Watkins shot 9-of-22 from the field and missed eight of her 12 attempts in the first half before scoring 11 points in the third quarter. That late push helped USC control the game, yet it also showed the slow build that comes with a first night back after a long layoff and an ACL injury.
Rachel DeMita put that uncertainty bluntly in a Courtside Club clip on X, saying she did not think fans were going to see the best of Watkins yet. Mick Curely made a similar point on X, saying he was not fully sold after the UNLV game and pointing to Watkins as a 40% shooter at the NCAA level. Together, the comments framed her return less as a finished statement than as the start of a ramp-up.
USC is treating it that way too. Lindsay Gottlieb said the team is still putting a restriction on Watkins' minutes and being intentional about giving her a chance to ramp up, which helps explain why she played 25 minutes rather than a full load. That also leaves the open question that matters most: how long it will take before the restriction comes off and Watkins is judged on the version of herself that can handle a full season again.
For now, the safest read is that Watkins has already cleared the most important hurdle by returning at all, but the next stretch will decide how quickly the hype catches up with the production. If she keeps climbing through the 2026/27 NCAA season, the debate shifts from whether she is back to whether anyone should doubt her place at the top of the 2027 WNBA Draft.
