From the moment JuJu Watkins stepped on the court in her first game as a USC freshman in Las Vegas, scoring 32 points with five assists in an upset win over Ohio State, the eyes of the WNBA have been looking ahead to the 2027 draft.<\/p>\n
But the long-awaited, so-called \u201cJuJu draft\u201d may not even include the USC superstar. Watkins can stay in college through the 2027-28 season because she redshirted in 2025-26. As WNBA franchises prepare for the draft lottery Sunday and plan their offseasons around the results, they won\u2019t even know until late March or April what Watkins plans to do. She has already said she won\u2019t be addressing that subject during the Trojans\u2019 season.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m just locked in on making sure I am as prepared as possible; my teammates and team are prepared for the season,\u201d Watkins told ESPN during the college offseason.<\/p>\n
Add in the extra uncertainty created by the NCAA\u2019s newly instituted\u00a0age-based eligibility rule<\/a>, and Watkins won\u2019t be the only megastar whose 2027 draft status is in question. Madison Booker, Hannah Hidalgo and Mikaylah Williams could all return to college for fifth-year senior seasons.<\/p>\n The decision tree is slightly different for Watkins, who is all but certain to be the top selection if she declares for the WNBA Draft. She can pick her professional destination based on the results of Sunday\u2019s lottery, whereas the other players in her class aren\u2019t assured of being drafted at a specific spot.<\/p>\n The appeal of turning pro is clear. Watkins would be competing in a league that has exploded in the national consciousness. Sold-out arenas and record-breaking television audiences await, and a chance for Watkins to prove herself against the best players in the world.<\/p>\n The WNBA is also no longer a financial sacrifice. The 2026 No. 1 pick\u2019s<\/a> salary was $500,000 and will increase at the same percentage as the overall cap in 2027, so it could rise as high as $565,000 for next year\u2019s top pick. The inclusion of the EPIC (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract) provision in the new collective bargaining agreement means that Watkins could be making a supermaximum contract (20 percent of the salary cap) as early as her fourth season if she is named an MVP, or a maximum contract (17 percent of the cap) if she makes an All-WNBA team.<\/p>\n Even with the bump in salaries, the 21-year-old doesn\u2019t need to join the WNBA for financial reasons. She already has a vast portfolio of NIL deals, including with Nike, Gatorade and Funko Pop. She\u2019s also an investor in the NWSL club Boston Legacy FC.<\/p>\n Watkins isn\u2019t limited to playing in the WNBA, either, and could add to her compensation by competing in Unrivaled during the offseason or elsewhere. She already has an NIL deal with the three-on-three league.<\/p>\n However, it\u2019s not as if Watkins is in a rush to end her college career. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Watkins\u2019 goal has always been to return the Trojans to the promised land. The program was almost unrecognizable from the glory days of Cheryl Miller, Cynthia Cooper and Lisa Leslie when Watkins arrived in 2023, but she has led a revitalization of USC\u2019s reputation \u2014 the city\u2019s stars flock to her games<\/a> \u2014 and success, with two Elite Eights and two conference titles in her first two seasons.<\/p>\n