USC guard JuJu Watkins’ stardom continues to grow, and now she will become the first active NCAA athlete to get a Funko Pop collectible. Quite on brand for her, the figure features her signature bun hairstyle.
“It feels surreal to see myself as a Funko Pop!” Watkins said in a statement. “This is such a fun and exciting way to celebrate my journey through basketball, and I hope it brings a little inspiration to other young athletes chasing their dreams.”
The Watkins collectible stands 4.7 inches tall. She is holding a basketball and wearing the Trojans’ home white jersey with cardinal and gold trim. It will be available at Funko.com from Nov. 13-27 and costs $20. Some lucky fans who pre-order could receive one of 25 personally autographed figures with a certificate of authenticity.
This is just the latest off-the-court opportunity for the Southern California native. In October, Watkins became the third ever basketball player to sign with Gatorade as an active college student. She also agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Nike, which reportedly gave her “one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball.”
In an interview with CBS Sports last month, Watkins said she started playing because she had fun doing it and never expected to get these kinds of experiences.
“Every day is like a crazy moment for me realizing the kind of life I live,” Watkins said. “I’m super grateful.”
Watkins captured the attention of the college basketball world when she broke the all-time freshman scoring record last season with a total of 920 points.
The Trojans have been on the rise under the leadership of Lindsay Gottlieb, and Watkins has been a key piece of the success. This past season, the program reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994. USC entered the 2024-25 campaign with high expectations as the preseason favorite in the Big Ten and the No. 3 team in the AP Top 25.
