Sierra Canyon star becomes first two-time winner of high school basketball's highest honor.
The list of players to earn MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors over the past 17 years is a who's who of WNBA and college stars. The list of players to earn the top honor in high school girls basketball twice is one name —
Juju Watkins of
Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.).
"I truly believe she is one of the best to ever play high school basketball and her legacy will not just be about statistics and championships but how she handled being a superstar," Sierra Canyon coach Alicia Komaki said.
Watkins, a USC commit who chose the Trojans to stay close to home, averaged 28.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game as the Trailblazers went 31-1. She broke the school record with 60 points in a game against Notre Dame in January.
While much of the national basketball attention focused on Bronny James and the Sierra Canyon boys team, Watkins drew in an audience of her own as the Trailblazers competed against a grueling national schedule.
"I think greatness fosters more greatness and her lasting impact will be that future generations will hold her as the standard to match up with," Komaki said. "She took everyone's best shot and delivered night after night."
Watkins is also leading the way for future athletes navigating the Wild West frontier of name, image and likeness. In February 2022, Watkins became the first high school athlete to sign with Klutch Sports Group for NIL representation. She also was among five athletes, including Bronny James, to sign a deal with Nike this season.
She was the co-MVP of the McDonald's All American Game. She's won the Naismith Player of the Year award. She's a two-time USA Basketball gold medalist and MVP. And her stats for Sierra Canyon's 2022 CIF title run — 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.0 blocks — made her an easy choice for the her first MaxPreps National Player of the Year award.
Juju Watkins is the lone two-time winner of the MaxPreps National Player of the Year award. The Sierra Canyon standout averaged 28.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game. (Photo: Louis Lopez)
It's rare, however, for someone to carry the mantle of the top-ranked player and actually deliver and live up to the hype.
Komaki said her calming presence in big-time situations had an effect on the rest of her team.
"She doesn't get nervous, she excels in big moments and that's comforting for her teammates to feed off that energy and mindset," Komai said.
Perhaps the biggest "Juju" moment from this season happened in January against Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.) at the Spalding Hoophall Classic. Following a red-eye flight to get to Massachusetts, the Trailblazers were battling the Quakers when Watkins came up limping early in the second quarter, a turned ankle.
Watkins went to the bench and received treatment as Sidwell Friends took a halftime lead. She came back after intermission and brought the Trailblazers back, but not before tweaking her other ankle in the third period. She pressed on and finished with 29 points and 14 boards in the 67-55 victory.
"Juju is so special I became numb to her greatness witnessing it all the time," Komaki said.
Past MaxPreps National Players of the Year
2006 — Jacki Gemelos, St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.)
2007 — Maya Moore, Collins Hill (Suwanee, Ga.)
2008 — Nneka Ogwumike, Cy-Fair (Cypress, Texas)
2009 — Skylar Diggins, South Bend Washington (South Bend, Ind.)
2010 — Chiney Ogwumike, Cy-Fair
2011 — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
2012 — Breanna Stewart, Cicero-North Syracuse (Cicero, N.Y.)
2013 — Diamond DeShields, Norcross (Ga.)
2014 — A'ja Wilson, Heathwood Hall Episcopal (Columbia, S.C.)
2015 — Ali Patberg, Columbus North (Columbus, Ind.)
2016 — Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.)
2017 — Megan Walker, Monacan (Richmond, Va.)
2018 — Christyn Williams, Central Arkansas Christian (North Little Rock, Ark.)
2019 — Azzi Fudd, St. John's (Washington, D.C.)
2020 — Paige Bueckers, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
2021 — Raven Johnson, Westlake (Atlanta)
2022 — Juju Watkins, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
