LOS ANGELES – JuJu Watkins arrived for practice Friday with the Southern California women’s basketball team starkly unready for the Trojans’ opening-round game in the NCAA Tournament.
Which is to say her hair was in an imperfect low bun rather than the magnificent, crisp high bun she wears on game days.
The hair transformation will take place before No. 1 seed Southern California plays No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro Saturday at the Galen Center. The Trojans (30-2) will be led by Watkins, a sophomore sensation, along with her trademark bun.
On Friday, she tried to remember the last time she played without it. Probably in high school, she said.
‘It just kind of became a thing,’ Watkins added during a session with the media before practice began. ‘I started to realize that I played better with it.’
A first-team All American, Watkins, 19, is trying to lead USC to its first national title since 1984. She’s averaging 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals. A 6-foot-2 guard, she’s also tied for the team lead in blocked shots with 1.9 per game. She had eight blocks in Southern California’s 80-67 victory over then-No. 1 UCLA March 1.
Turns out she’s a far better basketball player than hairstylist.
“I’d rate her like a strong four,’ said her mother, Sari.
That’s four of out 10. Fortunately, Sari Watkins handles the hair. The signature bun is literally in her hands, before home games and road games, too. (The low bun is not an uncommon sight at practices.)
“I try to make sure that my energy is perfect to produce the most perfect artwork for her by the end of our 45 minutes to an hour and a half, whatever (it takes),’ Sari Watkins told USA TODAY Sports. “And I think it is a part of this character, this JuJu character…
“I feel like I’m being challenged every time I’m doing her hair, too.”
If you’re wondering, ‘But how does she do it?’ Sari Watkins isn’t revealing any secrets just yet.
‘The secret behind the bun is don’t tell the secret behind the bun,’ she said during an interview with NBC Sports’ ‘On her Turf.’ But JuJu Watkins said just days ago that ‘something’s in the works’ when asked if they would reveal hair products or a hair care line.
JuJu Watkins without a bun? It’s true
USC basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb acknowledged something about Watkins’ bun.
“Once in a while, like when she doesn’t have the bun in for practice, I kind of do a double take just because you’re used to seeing her in season in the bun,’ she said.
There are other double-take moments.
On July 11, Watkins wore her hair down to the ESPYs in Los Angeles when she accepted the award for “Best Breakthrough Athlete.’ She’s also sported braids and a ponytail. But it’s the high bun on game days.
The bun has become so iconic — young fans regularly show up to her games with the ‘JuJu bun’ — it’s understandable if Watkins feels a tad exasperated having to talk about it all the time.
“I love that’s the first question,’ Watkins said with a grin Friday after USA TODAY Sports opened a press conference with this question: Juju, when is the last time you’ve played without a bun? And how did this become a tradition?
‘I don’t really know. Probably in high school. I used to wear like a puff,’ she said.
And, courtesy of USA TODAY Sports, the second question of the press conference: Whether it’s the ritual with your mom and the bonding or just something about the hair itself, is there some power to it? Is there something that gives you added confidence?
‘Yeah, for sure. I think that’s really our time to kind of talk about the game and talk about different things,’ Watkins said. “I never really take that for granted. It’s just a cool thing for me and her.’
JuJu’s bun is not indestructible
Kayla Padilla, a grad student guard on last year’s team, said of Watkins’ gameday hair bun: ‘The biggest thing that everyone noticed is it was always perfect and it was never out of place.’
Then again, there was USC’s game at UCLA during Watkins’ freshman year.
‘I’m sitting in the first row and one of the girls (from UCLA) knocked the bun out and she’s on the bench trying to fix it,’ Sari Watkins said of JuJu. ‘So I go over there…and I pull her hair back and I try to tie her bun up so that she could relax and concentrate on winning the game.’
Sari Watkins said she had the bun repaired in about 15 to 20 seconds. Watkins scored 27 points, but USC lost to UCLA, 71-64 — after the bun had been undone.
‘So stuff like that, I think she’s extremely superstitious about it,’ Sari Watkins said.
Watkins appears to be protective of the bun, too.
A video clip shows USC players with water bottles chasing after Watkins in celebration and the superstar fleeing, clearly avoiding her teammates drenching her bun.
‘Everyone is very conscious of one another’s hair,’ Gottlieb said. ‘We do know that they feel better when they look better,’ Gottlieb said. ‘So anyone with fresh braids or a bun in, everyone’s pretty respectful of one another, for sure.’
The bun has ‘superpower’
McKayla Williams said she wasn’t sure what to expect when Watkins joined the varsity team at Windward School, a private school in Los Angeles, as a ninth grader. Williams was a senior and the team captain.
“A lot of girls with that much hype, usually they come in and they want to run everything or everything has to be about them.’ Williams said. ‘But she was always a humble person.’
They spent time off the basketball court — in the bathroom, doing their hair, Williams said.
“I remember she used to always be serious about her hair,’ Williams said. ‘My bun, she would say it looked too pointy or it looked like Mickey Mouse.’
Vanessa Nygaard, who coached Watkins at Windward, shared a hairy memory.
‘I do remember for Halloween, she dressed up as Snoop Dogg,’ Nygaard. said. ‘She had the two little braids and the sunglasses and the flannel. So she didn’t have a bun that day for sure.’
Before Watkins junior year, she transferred to Sierra Canyon in Southern California. She no longer wore the puff hairdoo on the court, said Alicia Komaki, the head coach of the girls basketball team at Sierra Canyon. As a junior, Watkins led Sierra Canyon to the Open Division state title with a 30–2 record. As a senior, she led the team to a 31-1 record and the CIF-Southern Section Open Division.
“That bun does have superpower,’’ Komaki said.
Now, as the bun goes, so go the Trojans.