They say that all good stories come to an end, and not all good stories end on a happy note. On Monday night, this took on a whole different meaning to USC Trojans star guard JuJu Watkins, who, despite her best efforts to lead the program to great heights as a freshman, fell to the buzzsaw of NCAA women's basketball in the UConn Huskies, exiting March Madness in the Elite Eight after suffering an 80-73 defeat.

Watkins was even better than advertised in her first year of college basketball, making good on her potential as the number-one ranked recruit out of high school in last year's class. In fact, per Kevin Pelton of ESPN, the USC guard made history, setting the NCAA women's basketball record for most points scored by a freshman player in a single season. With 29 points, Watkins reached 920 for the season, surpassing the record set by Tina Hutchinson back in the 1983-84 season (898).

Even though the sting of defeat was still fresh in JuJu Watkins' mind, the USC guard still knew how big of an achievement it was for her to set this record. She's grateful for the opportunity Lindsay Gottlieb and the Trojans program has given her, and she's excited for the greater things that are in store for her.

“It's definitely an honor. I mean, of course, like I said, not really the terms I would like to end on — on my season, I mean. I'm just blessed,” Watkins said. “This program has offered me a lot. I'm so grateful for it. It's just been a great season. The record is great. Just the moments that I've got to spend with this team have meant everything to me. I'm just excited for next year.”

Had JuJu Watkins and USC advanced past UConn, Watkins would have had the opportunity to set the all-time NCAA women's basketball record for most point scored by a freshman in the NCAA tournament. With 110, Watkins was just one point shy of the record Tamika Catchings set when Tennessee won the national title back in 1998.

JuJu Watkins is her

There was no doubting JuJu Watkins' talent; her recruitment pedigree spoke for itself. But it's the way she dominated her older contemporaries that shows just how ready she is to take her game to the next level. In fact, many people are already urging her to assess her options and decide whether pursuing a professional career before she's eligible for the WNBA (she's draft-eligible in 2027) is what's best for her.

Who could forget the time when Watkins dropped 51 of USC's 67 points against a conference rival in Stanford? She had a total of 14 30+ point games in her freshman year while scoring 20 or more in all but seven games.

But Watkins may want a shot at redemption next season — with head coach Lindsay Gottlieb acknowledging how adversity strengthens the talented 18-year old guard.

“I've only ever seen her respond to anything adverse in incredibly positive ways. (…) There's no question in my mind, you give her something adverse, she's going to use that just to get better,” Gottlieb said.

Still, the USC star has a long way to go

Greatness never rests on its laurels. As Lindsay Gottlieb pointed out, JuJu Watkins is simply going to use this latest setback to improve her game even further. The battle-tested UConn roster, led by Paige Bueckers, held Watkins to an inefficient 9-25 night. Bueckers and Nika Muhl simply had Watkins in a straitjacket.

But Watkins is already going toe-to-toe with the best of college basketball at such a young age. What a scary thought it is to imagine how much better she can be when she gains more years of experience under her belt.