Sources: USC’s Watkins gets lucrative Nike deal

USC sophomore star JuJu Watkins has agreed to a multiyear contract extension with Nike that will give her one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women’s basketball, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Nike officials finished discussions Tuesday on the deal, with negotiations led by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and Watkins’ team, including agent Jade-Li English, head of marketing Eric Eways and vice president of basketball marketing Brittany McCallum.

Watkins originally signed with Nike as a high school senior in October 2022.

Last season, she became the all-time leading scorer among freshmen in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history, scoring 920 points to surpass a record that had stood since the 1983-84 season (898 by San Diego State’s Tina Hutchinson).

Watkins, who was voted as the Associated Press’ Preseason Player of the Year heading into this season, led the Trojans to the Elite Eight last season — the school’s deepest NCAA tournament run in three decades. She finished second in the country to Caitlin Clark in scoring at 27.1 points per game.