USC Women’s Basketball Star JuJu Watkins Throws Out First Pitch

Keith Birmingham/Southern California News Group

The new Los Angeles Dodgers City Connect uniform was debuted on the field Saturday night and the Freeway Series finale also was notable in that USC women’s basketball phenom JuJu Watkins threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Watkins received a custom Dodgers City Connect jersey with her No. 12 on the top left and last name across the back. She threw the first pitch to Gavin Stone, and later was accompanied by her mother and cousin to announce the customary “It’s time for Dodger baseball” over the Dodger Stadium speakers.

Although Watkins rose to stardom amid a wildly successful high school career at Sierra Canyon and freshman season with the Trojans, venturing into baseball created some nerves, per Beth Harris of the Associated Press:

“This is probably the most nervous I’ve ever been,” she said beforehand. “Basketball comes easy, not baseball.”

Further playing into some of the angst the soon-to-be 19-year-old felt was caused by a right index finger sprain. Watkins nevertheless managed to still throw with her right hand and successfully got the pitch to Stone.

Watkins joined Los Angeles Sparks rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson as women basketball players to throw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium this season.

JuJu Watkins freshman year recap

Among other accolades Watkins received in her first season at USC was being named the National Freshman of the Year and an All-American by USA TODAY.

She also was named to the All-Pac-12 Team, Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, Pac-12 All-Tournament Team and received a Pac-12 All-Defensive Honorable Mention.

Watkins was the nation’s highest-scoring freshman in history with 920 points, and set a USC basketball freshman record (male and female) with 14 games of at least 30 points.

Included in that was Watkins scoring a career-high 51 points that also broke another USC record as she helped lead the Trojans to an upset of the Stanford Cardinal.

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