Caitlin Clark under threat as college basketball star sets sights on WNBA icon

USC sophomore JuJu Watkins is setting her sights on the college point scoring record of WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark, after reaching a significant career milestone ahead of the Indiana Fever star.

Watkins shone in the Trojans' 81-50 victory over the Santa Clara Broncos at Galen Center on Friday, maintaining their flawless start to the season.

The 19-year-old has played just four games in her sophomore season and has playd a big contribution in the Trojans' 4-0 record. On Friday, Watkins clocked up 33 minutes, scoring 22 points with five rebounds and five assists, bringing her total career college points to 1000.

The teenager got to this landmark in her 38th game, faster than Clark achieved and she's tied for the fourth-fewest games in NCAA Division I history.

Clark would go onto become the all-time leading scorer in Division I women's basketball and later the all-time leading scorer in Division I basketball for both men and women, achieving the milestone in 40 games.

According to the NCAA record book, LSU's Maree Jackson (1976-78), Oregon State's Carol Menken (1979-81) and New Orleans' Sandra Hodge (1981-84) all reached the milestone in just 37 games.

"I'm not taking anything for granted," Watkins stated post-match. "Very blessed to be in this position. This is great, something to build off and continue to work on."

Lindsay Gottlieb, head coach of the Trojans, showered praise on Watkins following her record-breaking achievements at USC. "When you break a record at USC, it hits a little different because the people you break the record from are so great.

"JuJu belongs in that conversation. She's four games into her sophomore year, and she's already accomplished something incredible. We're all comfortable in saying it. It was the great Cheryl Miller who was next."

Last season, Watkins astounded the basketball world by setting the all-time national record for a freshman with a stunning 920 points, joining USC's elite 1000-point circle as the 31st player. To put this in context, Cheryl Miller, USC's all-time scoring leader with 3018 career points, took 48 games to pass the 1000-point mark.

The incredible teenage prodigy not only sets records but also showed her credentials as an elite scorer, dropping a monumental 51 points in a game in February 2024, leading the Trojans to an upset victory over the then-ranked No. 4 Stanford team.

Even more recently, Watkins showed her scoring prowess by recording a season-high 27 points, helping the Trojans emerge victorious in their gripping season-opener against the Ole Miss Rebels, 68-66.