LOS ANGELES — USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb and her star player, JuJu Watkins, were invited to the annual Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala in May. In a who’s-who world of L.A. glitterati, Gottlieb was astounded by how many people flocked to Watkins. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and owner Mark Walter wanted to meet her. Magic Johnson and his wife, Cookie, came over. A section of Los Angeles Lakers personnel were interested, too.
“Everywhere I’m turning, these fans and these people that are here go, ‘JuJu! JuJu!’” Gottlieb said. “She’s as recognizable with (her) bun (hairstyle) as any of the Dodgers and was the biggest star. I came back and I said to my staff and the administration here, this was next level. Amongst L.A., she is kind of the star amongst the stars.”
Watkins was coming off a historic first season that saw her set the NCAA record for points by a freshman and lead the Trojans to their first conference title in a decade and first Elite Eight appearance in 30 years. Her bun became famous in its own right, and a national AT&T commercial during last season’s March Madness featured NBA superstar Joel Embiid, among others, trying out the look.
Watkins had already brought USC basketball back from relative obscurity. The promise of what she…
