JuJu Watkins’s sister, Mar Watkins, has been a role model and mentor in JuJu’s life.
Recently, basketball guard JuJu Watkins broke her silence after encountering a season-ending injury during March Madness.
Watkins shared a message on her Instagram story on Monday, March 31, 2025, thanking her fans for their support after she tore her ACL in the 2nd round of the tournament on March 24, 2025. She wrote,
“Thank you all for the incredible love and support. Seeing all your messages and kind words has meant the world to me — y’all have given me so much hope,” “Right now, my heart is with my teammates – I wish I could have been out there battling, but I couldn’t be prouder of the fight we’ve fought together,” “Thank you all.”
JuJu Watkins
She suffered the injury during USC’s win over Mississippi State.
In footage shared by USC on YouTube, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb told reporters that she was heartbroken over JuJu’s injury after the star player went down.
Watkins received an outpour of support from her fellow basketball stars, including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who both reacted to the USC star’s injury. On Twitter, Reese wrote,
“Prayers for Juju!”
Angel Reese
Caitlin Clark wrote,
“Sending all my thoughts and prayers to JuJu. Kid will come back stronger than ever ❤️.”
Caitlin Clark
Basketball Guard JuJu Watkins Has One Sister And Two Brothers
JuJu Watkins grew up playing basketball with his sister, Mar Watkins, and two brothers, Dami and Mali Watkins.
However, her siblings have managed to avoid social media, so little is known about their personal lives.
Her sister and brother have always supported JuJu in achieving her basketball dreams.
Some sources have claimed that in February 2025, JuJu’s sister sang the national anthem at the start of the Trojans vs. Bruins match.
In the match, JuJu scored eight points in five minutes.
JuJu Watkins Was Raised In An African-American Family
Judea “JuJu” Skies Watkins, 19, was born on July 15, 2005, in Los Angeles, California, United States, to her father, Robert Neal-Watkins, and her mother, Sari Watkins.
Although her family lives in the United States, their ancestors had a deep-rooted history with African heritage.
Therefore, JuJu and her family are of African-American ethnicity.
Her parents have guided her through her basketball journey and supported her inside and outside the field.
JuJu’s father, Robert, is a former football player, and her mother, Sari, is a former track and field star.
During one of the interviews with ESPN, her father, Robert, talked about JuJu’s basketball journey. He said,
Robert Neal-Watkins
JuJu’s great-grandfather, Ted Watkins, was born into poverty in Mississippi in 1912, several decades before desegregation.
He became a civil rights activist and founded the Watts Labor Community Action Committee (WLCAC) in 1965 to fight poverty locally.
The organization is currently being run by JuJu’s grandfather, Tim Watkins.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In 2022, JuJu signed with Klutch Sports Group, becoming the first female athlete to be represented by the agency.
- She won a gold medal with the United States at the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship in Mexico.
- JuJu was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup and the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship.
- Watkins and DJ Wagner were rumored to be dating after making several public appearances together.
