In this episode of the Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green and former WNBA star Lisa Leslie discuss the meteoric rise of USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins. Green recounts inviting the then‑10th‑grader to his NBA‑style workout, noting her immediate skill, work ethic, and willingness to be pushed, which convinced him she had a future in the sport. Leslie praises Watkins for breaking multiple USC records and for revitalizing a program that has struggled for decades, likening her mindset to her own decision to join USC instead of a traditional powerhouse. The conversation shifts to how Steph Curry’s deep‑range shooting has reshaped the women’s game, enabling players like Watkins and past shooters such as Ruthie Bolden to comfortably shoot from beyond half‑court. Both guests describe a broader move toward positionless, European‑style basketball where forwards can handle the ball and run plays. They also debate the WNBA’s age‑eligibility rule, agreeing that Watkins would likely be a top draft pick if she could declare early, but emphasizing the need to test her against elite competition such as the USA national team. Throughout, the tone is conversational and enthusiastic, highlighting Watkins’ talent, the evolution of women’s basketball, and the challenges of transitioning to the professional level.
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What's up everybody? Welcome to the Draymond Green Show YouTube channel. Make sure you hit that subscribe button. Make sure you like the post that you love, but you can get everything the Draymond Green Show right on our YouTube channel. So make sure you subscribe, check that out. Thank you. But speak to me, Juju Wachus. I had the opportunity to actually work out with Juju, or she came to my workout, maybe when she was like in the 10th grade.
Oh really?
And like you could see the skill was there. Shoot the lights out the ball. I work out, I still work out. Who trains me, his name's Travis Walton. He was my senior leader when I was a freshman at Michigan State. He's trained me my entire career. We still go hard like we in college. Like it's not your typical NBA workout. You go shoot some spots and go to the next, like we go. And she came to our workout and the first day, like you could tell her skill was there and like all the things. She was struggling to get through the workout a bit. And like, you know, I'm pushing her like, "Hey, come on, Drew, you got it. Come on." Like pushing her through the workout, pushing. She came back the next day. And when she came back the next day, it said a lot to me because it's like, oh, she wants to get better. Like she enjoyed being pushed. You know, a lot of people, I've seen people come to my workouts. I've had NBA players come to my workouts, throw up, not come back. You know, I've had, I've seen all different types. And she came back the next day and I was like, that young lady has a future in this game. She has the skill, you know, she has the demeanor. She carries herself like she knows she's nice. She came back to this workout again the next day. Now every day, Every night you look up, Juju has a game. She breaks this record, she breaking that record.
She's— She's breaking, I think she broke all mine already.
Which number one says so much about you that, here we are 30 years later since you left USC and she's just now breaking those records.
Yeah.
But just talk to me about Juju and what she's doing for the program, for USC as a whole, for women's basketball. And just moving things forward.
Yeah, yeah, I'm so proud of her. I think the thing is, is that when I heard about Juju, which was her high school, when she was in high school, and then some of the coaches that were recruiting her, that she was a top recruit. And I was like, so what do you think? Is Juju for real? They were like, yeah, Juju's for real. But they weren't sure if she would be able to keep this level of consistency, right, in college. But you know how, 'cause everybody, this is the talk about like Caitlin, like what's going, everybody looks at the next level. Okay, she's ballin' here, but what is she gonna do at the next level? And it's like when you have that freshman year when you come out, I had the same thing happen. After I scored 101 points in high school, I went to USC, which was like in 10th, 11th place in the Pac-10 back then. But I was like, I wanna do something different. I didn't wanna just go to Tennessee where everybody was winning championships. I wanted to start something new. And I feel like Juju had that same mindset of like, I wanna bring it back here to LA. SC was OK. She made SC like, you take it back up to the top. And I feel like that is a big deal in itself when you talk about that challenge. When you take on the challenge to turn around a program, that's what Juju Watkins is basically doing for LA, like putting SC back on the map. And we've had some great players out of SC, like for real. So, you know, I love that her handle is like Juju Be Ballin' if you want to hit her on Instagram, because every time I'm like, Juju be ballin', like she really is a baller. And it's like— Yeah. She's so LA, which is also— a lot of people go to LA, but a lot of people are not from LA. But those of us is, like, from LA, it's a certain kind of dogginess. It's just like, mm-hmm, she really from LA. Like, you know, like Tina Thompson is really from LA. Cynthia Cooper is, like, really from LA. Like, we are— it's something about, like, our motor and the way we think. Like, you just not going to outwork us and outplay us. We may lose some stuff, but you going to know you was in a battle. And I see that in Juju. Like, she's just— Yeah. When she needs to put the team on her back, the team is on her back. But watching her play, like, she's not selfish with it. You know, she's not, like, over-dribbling and keeping it. Like, she's very unselfish. She's a great passer, rebounder. But her ability to shoot the ball is just— it's next level. And I feel like that is, like, the effect of what your teammate Steph Curry has done for the game has just been— it was almost one of those things. When I played in the post, And I'm like, if I didn't have an outlet, I'm gonna take the ball up. Like, I can bring the ball up, I can push it up. I'm a 5, but I can play 4. I used to tell my teammates, I only play this position 'cause y'all need me to play this position. I can play any position, right? So that's how I used to think. But I feel like the coach would be like, make the outlet pass and get on the block. Like, you know, coaches used to coach us in a way like you had a certain spot to be in or position. Mm-hmm. But now we're moving to more of a European style where it's positionless, right? Your forward can pull it up, the forward can bring it up and actually run the play, call the play, get you into your motion. The same thing that you do, they do in the women's game. Where it was very seldom was I allowed to do that. I did it at SC Sum, but as a pro, very seldom did I do that, like call a play. It was like pass it and get, you know, get down to the block or get to your spot. I love that Steph has changed the game where people never really thought that you were even in shooting range when you crossed the half court.
Like— Absolutely.
We had a few players I can name, Ruthie Bolden, which people probably wouldn't even remember. Could shoot. Shoot, Ruthie could cross half court and be in that range like Steph. But she didn't get the publicity and didn't have this stage like we have. But Ruthie could shoot long range consistently. But we were like, Ruthie, we used to laugh like, where is your range? She's like, hey, as long as I can see the basket, I'm in range. You know, she would say that. But I'm like, now we see these players that he's opened the game in a way that you are not out of your range shooting. I don't even— what is the feet? 44 feet? Like 45?
Like— Yeah.
Bro, they are so far out. And I love that Juju has that long-range shot. Just to get back to what you were saying, she has that long-range shot. She's in her range wherever she is, getting to the basket, the pull-up. Like, they are true students of the game. And we can see that in their game. Like, the way that they play, you can tell that they've studied the game. And that's what I love. I'm passionate about people who are like, bro, if I was in this era, I would be even better than what I was in my era because I can see the game differently now. You know, I limited myself. 3-point line came out. I was like, oh, OK, come to the 3-point line, work on my 3-point shooter. I was never thinking cross half court, shoot one from there. Never.
You know?
Absolutely. But, bro, if I was in this era, you best believe my shot would be ready from half court. I just love the game. I love the fact that it keeps evolving and getting better. So you can tell I get so excited. But I'm amazed at Juju and what she's been able to do. And the talents continue to get better. So right on.
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I got my burger again.
I love it. I love it. And Juju has to stay in college for at least 3 years. Kinda what's your take on that? Like what, obviously the goal for all of us is to get to the NBA, is to get to the WNBA, but she has to stay there for 2 more years once this season concludes. What's your take on the age requirement in the WNBA as far as, like, I think if Juju could leave this year, she'd definitely be the number 1 or number 2 pick, you know? And so like, kinda how do you view that as far as the women's game go?
That's good, that's good. I don't think we originally had seen a player or players now that really could make that jump. And here's why I say that. We played both college ball, but we also played on the USA team. And playing on the USA team brought, like myself, I was 16, a high schooler versus college women. And I held my own, But was I ready to be an Olympian? No. I was good, but I was a 10th grader, you know, with college players. Now you cut to and you say, well, she's a freshman in college. I think the biggest test first would be the USA team because how she would manage with those pros would then tell you if she could truly play in the WNBA. I think it's— I think we're getting to that point now. I don't think that Juju could get out there and not be effective. But also it's kind of that same thing. The body, the physicality of it, it changes a lot. Defense, you know, you may be strong offensively, but how's your defense? Because you got, you know, you got some ballers to guard in the WNBA also.
Absolutely.
And so a lot of times the rookie year for guards is actually harder than it is for the post.
Mm-hmm.
I find that all of the guards, when, if we like went back in time and you looked at like number 1 pick guards, their first years in the W is not like all-star years. They really struggle because you being D'd up in a way like, I got you and I don't need to go help nobody else. You know what I mean? Whereas college, college is sort of that system. You know, you got that rotation. Sometimes coaches just like, stay on her. Like, she not getting off today. That's, that's the decision of the coach, which means I'm on you. How you going to get the buckets that you're used to getting when I'm staying with you? And we have defenders like that and coaches that make those types of decisions. So I think that for the guards, they struggle a little bit. But could Juju go into the WNBA and just be like solid? I think so. I really do. I think she could. Should they change the rules? I don't know about that, but I think she'd have success.
