By: Thomas Burkel
JuJu Watkins is a household name in women’s college basketball. The University of Southern California guard is arguably one of the best players in the country. If you haven’t watched her play, you are missing out. With her dynamic playmaking ability, sturdy defense, and inspirational leadership, Watkins is a playmaker on the court. However, her off-the-court presence elevates her brand image to a whole nother level. With over 1.4 million followers on her social platforms plus her partnerships with high-level brands, she is an influential leader within the name, image, and likeness space.
But how did Watkins make this name for herself, and what does it mean for the future of NIL? In this blog, I will examine Watkins’ brand and analyze how she has capitalized on her brand awareness.
Juju Watkins began her collegiate career on the main stage. Watkins was considered the #1 recruit in her 2023 class and instantly proved that she deserved to be at the collegiate level. Posting an average of 23 points per game, Watkins led USC to its best record in 40 years, a Big Ten regular season championship, and to the Elite Eight Championship. On top of her achievements at USC, she also received the John R. Wooden Award as the most outstanding basketball player in America. Watkins told the world, through her play, that she was meant to play on the big stage.
This play on the court increased her brand image to new heights. Fans around the country were focused on USC Women’s Basketball and were glued to watching Watkins perform. This high level of play attracted a variety of brands to Watkins. All of a sudden she had partnerships with all of the top brands. Including Nike, State Farm, Fanatics, Celsius, Gatorade, StockX, and NYX Professional Makeup. Watkins’ brand image had risen in stock (pun intended). With this increased brand image, Watkins has made over $765,000 (Sharma 2025).
Watkins also made a strategic decision by partnering with brands that would raise her overall image. Watkins understood her target audience of young female athletes and partnered with brands that fit this category. By partnering with StockX, NYX Professional Makeup, and Celsius, she partnered with brands that fit her target demographic (Katz 2025). Instead of diluting her brand, and partnering with every brand on the block, she was able to grow her image by partnering with brands that resonated with her fanbase.
Through her dynamic play on and off the court, Watkins is the perfect example of a player who used her NIL to leverage her brand. Watkins understands her target audience and chooses brands that keep her demographic engaged. In doing this, both Watkins and the brands that she works with can compensate. With strategic vision and a knack for seeing the playing field, Watkins is elevating the future of NIL.
Sources:
Katz, A. (2025, March 14). JuJu Watkins NIL deals, explained: How much money USC star makes from Fanatics, Nike, other sponsors in 2025. Sporting News. https://www.sportingnews.com/us/womens-college-basketball/usc/news/juju-watkins-nil-deals-how-much-money-usc-fanatics-nike-2025/0ce918c9b4e008990cd978a4
Notte, J. (2025, April 3). JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers help Gatorade get to bottom of ‘It’. Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/juju-watkins-paige-bueckers-gatorade-nil/
Peterson, A. M. (2025, March 28). USC vows to soldier on in March Madness without injured star JuJu Watkins. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-spokane-preview-usc-juju-watkins-9bfe7759adfc98fac18072ce9de57b0e
Sharma, P. (2025, April 29). JuJu Watkins net worth and NIL valuation: How much does the WNBA prospect make? | PFSN | PFSN. PFSN. https://www.profootballnetwork.com/wnba/juju-watkins-net-worth-lifestyle/#:~:text=On3%20had%20previously% 20listed%20Watkins,reach%20this%20impressive%20NIL%20figure.
University of Southern California. (2025, April 3). USC’s JuJu Watkins is first Trojan to be named AP National Player of the Year. https://usctrojans.com/news/2025/4/3/womens-basketball-uscs-juju-watkins-is-first-trojan-to-be-named-ap-national-player-of-the-year
Thomas Burkel 
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