Saniyah Hall knew she had a connection with JuJu Watkins from the jump. 

Even before her official visit to USC, the No. 1 recruit of the 2026 class and recent Trojans commit was able to see Watkins’s competitive fire from a unique perspective. Hall experienced Watkins turn into “Coach JuJu” in Overtime Select’s Takeover showcase back in June, a game featuring many of the best women’s high school players in the nation. 

With clipboard in hand, Watkins coached her team to victory, led in part by Hall. They weren’t teammates just yet, but Hall could see it clearly: She and Watkins were cut from the same cloth. 

“We’re both very competitive,” Hall told after her commitment. “She wants to win and I want to win, and I think that’s what it’s about [at the] end of the day: having fun and winning, winning a championship. That and being competitive, I’m looking forward to that.” 

In some ways, it was the start of a partnership that has the potential to reach great heights. The duo will be joining forces on the court as teammates come 2026 when Hall becomes a Trojan. 

During the game, Watkins only had one thing written on her clipboard: With Hall teaming up with Watkins, plenty of that can be expected in SoCal in years to come.