USC's JuJu Watkins named AP women's basketball Player of the Year - ESPN

TAMPA, Fla. — JuJu Watkins, the sophomore who led USC to its best season in nearly 40 years, was honored Thursday as The Associated Press women's college basketball Player of the Year.

Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for its first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo got the other two. Both were first-team AP All-Americans.

«I think what's so significant about this award is that this was a year that didn't have an absence of talent and stars, and JuJu found a way to elevate herself and her team,» USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

Watkins became just the fourth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahoma's Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP first started giving out the award in 1995, and Watkins is the first Trojans player to win it.

«She makes a lot of things that aren't easy look easy,» Gottlieb said. «It's one thing to say she's a generational talent, but another to actually do it and put yourself up with names like Stewie, Maya and Courtney Paris.»

Watkins is already in the top 10 on USC's all-time scoring list, ranking sixth in just two years. She was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before her season was cut short in the NCAA tournament with an ACL injury suffered in the second round against Mississippi State.

Watkins raised her game against the best opponents. In the six games against teams in AP top 10, she averaged 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4% from behind the 3-point line.

«She performed her best at the biggest moments,» Gottlieb said. «I