Yes, JuJu Watkins is out for the season and didn't travel with Southern California for the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament. But you can still find her alongside her teammates.
It's just a 4.7 inch-tall version of her.
As the Trojans try to make their first Final Four since 1986 without their star, who is recovering from her season-ending knee injury, they've made sure Watkins is included in the run as much as possible. They did it by wearing Nike shirts with Watkins' signature bun before the Sweet 16 game against Kansas State, but their next tribute took all the attention: the Funko Pop.
The collector item of this generation, it's fair to say Funko Pops are the measuring stick of whether a well-known person has achieved celebrity status. From fictional characters in shows, movies and video games to artists and athletes, having a Funko Pop of oneself is somewhat of a crowning achievement in the celebrity world.
But before the 2024-25 college basketball season began, no active college athlete had their own Funko Pop. That changed in November, when Funko announced Watkins would be the first active college player to have their own figurine − a testament to the talent and star power of Watkins.
Now flash forward four months later, and it's stealing the show in the Spokane Regional. A Watkins Funko Pop was spotted on the USC bench against Kansas State. In the cardinal jersey with a basketball, her signature bun, necklace and the USC "Fight On" hand gesture, it couldn't look anymore like Watkins.
"I didn't even know the Funko Pop was going to be on the bench, and then I saw the clips of that, and I'm like, okay, that was crazy and so fun and funny," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said during a news conference Sunday. "That's the best Funko Pop of all time. The bun is perfect, the whole thing."
Why USC brought a JuJu Watkins Funko Pop to Spokane
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