JuJu Watkins’ preseason award has raised expectations at USC, but the Trojans’ Oct. 25 exhibition against California offers an early chance to see how the team is taking shape. The question is not simply whether Watkins is back on the court; it is how her return might fit alongside a young group that had to find its footing without her.
Watkins was named Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year by the coaches and a media panel on Oct. 1, her second time receiving the honor. She missed all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL. At a June practice availability, Watkins said she was practicing and had scrimmaged, but neither she nor coach Lindsay Gottlieb shared a specific return timeline. Her status for the exhibition, therefore, should not be assumed.
If she does play, her connection with Jazzy Davidson will be an obvious storyline. Davidson averaged 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists last season, when she became a central option for an USC team that finished 18-14 and exited in the NCAA tournament’s second round. The challenge will be building chemistry, not just adding Watkins’ scoring back into the lineup.
Cal should offer a useful counterpoint, not just a backdrop for USC’s first public look. The Golden Bears went 21-15 and reached the WBIT quarterfinals last season. They return seven players, including four of their top five scorers, and guard Lulu Twidale, a prolific 3-point shooter. USC won the teams’ last meeting, 61-57, in December 2025.
The exhibition is set for 2 p.m. PT at USC’s Galen Center. It will not settle questions about Watkins’ availability or the Trojans’ ceiling, but it can offer an initial read on the team’s balance—and give Cal a chance to make the matchup more than a tune-up.