Young Talents and Experienced Investors: JuJu Watkins Invests in Women's Basketball

The ambitious young player JuJu Watkins from the University of Southern California has taken a remarkable step towards her future. The 19-year-old basketball player joined the investment group of Unrivaled, a 3-on-3 women's basketball league set to debut in January. With this investment, Watkins clearly demonstrates that she can showcase her foresight not only on the court but also in business. In Unrivaled's current investment round, which amounts to $28 million, other prominent names have joined the ranks of investors. These include Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joe Ingles from the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as the coach of the South Carolina women's basketball team, Dawn Staley. Former Olympian Michael Phelps, former Bucks owner Mark Lasry, Linda Henry from Fenway Sports Group, and former NBA player Richard Hamilton are also part of this exclusive group. During her first season at USC, Watkins already distinguished herself with impressive performance: 27.1 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists speak volumes. She led the Trojans to a 29-6 record and into the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournaments. This season, she is also shining with an average of 24.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. While Unrivaled also has NIL agreements with well-known players like Paige Bueckers from UConn and Flau'Jae Johnson from LSU, Watkins chose to participate as an investor. President Alex Bazzell praised her vision and willingness to actively engage in the network to accelerate the league's development. Unrivaled was founded as a partnership between Napheesa Collier from the Minnesota Lynx and Breanna Stewart from the New York Liberty. Notable initial investors included Alex Morgan, Geno Auriemma, John Skipper, and Steve Nash. The league will offer an innovative format where six teams will play on a shortened full court with four seven-minute quarters.