JuJu Watkins chosen over Paige Bueckers for women’s college basketball’s most prestigious award

The voters have spoken. 

USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins was selected as the 2025 winner of the John R. Wooden Award Saturday, beating out UConn star Paige Bueckers. 

The other finalists were Lauren Betts of UCLA, Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame and Madison Booker of Texas.

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Watkins earned the award as a sophomore, becoming just the third underclassman to do so since the award was established in the 2003-04 season. 

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Watkins was one of the most dominant players in the NCAA tournament before tearing her ACL in the second round. She is fourth in the nation in scoring with 23.9 points per game, along with 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game.

Watkins was also on pace to potentially break Caitlin Clark’s all-time NCAA scoring record before the ACL tear.

Bueckers, a senior, is still playing in the NCAA Tournament and will have a chance to win the championship after dominating UCLA 85-51 in the Final Four Friday. 

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She will try to lead her team to victory over Dawn Staley’s defending champion South Carolina squad.

Bueckers averaged 20 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season. 

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