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When State Farm signed Iowa star Caitlin Clark to an NIL deal in 2023, it was historic in that Clark became the first NCAA player ever to sign an endorsement deal with the insurance company. Well, that list just grew n by one more. USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins recently signed her own NIL deal with State Farm as only the second NCAA player to partner with the company.
With Clark off to the WNBA having just completed her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, Watkins has emerged as arguably the most popular college basketball player in the country.
State Farm, who has burst onto the basketball scene with several commercials involving NBA and WNBA players, is navigating uncharted waters for the company with JuJu Watkins now as their lone NCAA client.
There’s no question that there’s been a massive increase in the attention paid to women’s basketball in recent years. State Farm has taken advantage of the popularity to give opportunities to some of the biggest names in the game, and that’s a major reason why JuJu Watkins feels like this partnership is crucial to help grow women’s basketball.
“State Farm is such an iconic brand and just draws the attention of so many people because it’s such a well-known brand and well-respected,” Watkins told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “So to have State Farm be partners with the W and be a part of that State Farm family, I think it just automatically grows the game, just to see that big brands are really invested in women’s sports.”
JuJu Watkins’ a leader in NIL
Since JuJu Watkins has been playing college basketball, NIL has always been a thing. It was in 2021 when the NCAA approved the rule allowing college athletes to profit off their likeness. During her early time at USC, Watkins has already inked NIL deals with iconic brands such as Nike, Gatorade, AT&T and Funko, to name a few.
Her Funko deal was also significant because like State Farm, she is the only NCAA athlete the brand partnered with and she was the first to have a Funko POP figure made of her. With Clark in the WNBA, Watkins has become the biggest name in women’s college basketball and is arguably the biggest name in college basketball period.
She’s grateful for the opportunities that have been presented to her while recognizing those who came before her to help pave the way for this.
“First and foremost, just really grateful to all the women who came before this generation and we’re able to kind of reap the benefits of their hard work and dedication to the sport,” Watkins said. “I’m just really grateful to be here now in this time and I think the game will continue to grow and will continue to evolve. It’s just a great space for college basketball and college sports.”
With JuJu Watkins’ partnership with State Farm official, her first commercial featuring the infamous Jake from State Farm recently aired. Before the deal became official, it was announced that Watkins had a documentary series in the works that was being sponsored by the insurance company.
As she continues to grow her own brand, she feels like State Farm is a perfect company to partner with to continue to elevate her standing in the basketball world.
“State Farm has always been a brand that I was always interested in, and I grew up loving their commercials,” Watkins said. “So just to be a part of that and be able to do commercials like I just did with Jake, and be on that platform and seen in that spotlight, it’s definitely beneficial for me. I’m just really grateful that I’m able to stand alongside just a great brand overall.”
JuJu Watkins’ a leader at USC
While the off-the-court accolades and popularity are surging, it’s the on-the-court results that drives JuJu Watkins as she navigates her sophomore season at USC.
The Trojans came into the 2024-25 season as the No. 3 ranked team in the country in the AP poll. They were picked as the No. 1 team in the Big Ten Conference. Following a disappointing loss to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish back on Nov. 22, they slipped to No. 6. But the team remains a contender to make a deep NCAA Tournament run.
With the surge in popularity of women’s basketball, USC has reaped the benefits. It was just a couple of years ago, prior to the arrival of Watkins, that the women’s basketball team wasn’t attracting any crowds. But with Watkins in the fold, and Lindsay Gottlieb at the helm, the Trojans have become a destination for both potential recruits and for fans.
“Fan support has been tremendous and a big aspect to our success last year, and will continue to have a big impact on us this year. But I would say the main growth, honestly, has been the student section which is something that we didn’t get at all last year,” Watkins said. “To see that our own peers and students are coming to support us, I think that means a lot. I think student sections make college, they just give a different energy to the game. And to see that we’re kind of creating our own movement at ‘SC, and to see our friends supporting USC, it means a lot.”
And there certainly has been plenty for the Trojans’ faithful to cheer for. Last season, USC reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994 following a regular season in which Watkins broke numerous school and NCAA records.
Just this season, Watkins passed Caitlin Clark to become the 4th fastest NCAA women’s basketball player to reach the 1,000 career points milestone. She recently dropped 40 points in a USC win last week while setting the new school record for most three-pointers in a single game with nine.
Watkins has been averaging 25.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.6 steals and 2.1 blocked shots. Her points per game leads the nation. She’s shooting 46.9 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from the three-point line and 78.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line. For her, the number one thing she wanted to work on was her on-court IQ.
“I think my IQ has definitely grown a lot, just being able to read things better and quicker,” Watkins said. “That’s one of the areas I really evolved in this past summer.”
Since the Notre Dame loss, USC has rattled off four straight wins, including their Big Ten opener against Oregon. The team has been bolstered by the addition of a pair of impact transfers in Kiki Iriafen and Talia von Oelhoffen, as well as a talented 2024 freshman class.
Although the team has looked rather solid in the early goings of the season, JuJu Watkins believes that USC can still reach another level.
“I think that what makes me so optimistic about this group is that people are willing to do whatever it takes. I think that’s really the deciding factor for us, is just everybody being bought in and willing to do whatever it takes,” Watkins said. “We’ll continue to evolve throughout the season, and with more games played and getting to know each other better, that’s just going to be really beneficial for us.
“I would say we’re out really yet. We’re not where we quite need to be,” Watkins continued. “But we’ll continue to evolve. . .and get better throughout the season, because that’s really where progress is made.”
