Funko Pop figures have been ubiquitous for years now, representing seemingly every famous person and fictional character in existence at this point, but there was never one made of an active NCAA athlete from any sport — until now. University of Southern California sophomore guard JuJu Watkins is now the first, with a figure that is now on sale until Nov. 27.
Bro, the bun is perfect!” Catch the rest of JuJu Watkins’ reaction as she unboxes her very own exclusive POP! Pre-order yours now, for a limited time, and you might score one of the 25 signed versions. See page for more details. @USCWBB @USC_Athletics https://t.co/24UW32Z5Nl… pic.twitter.com/9anh5fQqeL
— Funko (@OriginalFunko) November 13, 2024
That Watkins is the first NCAA athlete to be included in a pop-culture collectibles line like this is another marker of how women’s college basketball has grown in popularity in recent years. And with the driver of much of that growth, Caitlin Clark, now in the WNBA, the next class of NCAA stars is taking the spotlight, with Watkins and UConn senior Paige Bueckers leading the way.
“After seeing the incredible surge of enthusiasm for women’s college basketball this past year, we knew we had to create something that truly captured the passion of its fans,” said Cynthia Williams, CEO of Funko. “JuJu Watkins has played a pivotal role in elevating the sport, and we’re thrilled to honor her impact with our inaugural NCAA Pop! collectible.”
Watkins set the all-time NCAA Division 1 freshman scoring record last season (920 points) and was second in the nation in scoring, averaging 27.1 ppg. She is also the star and executive producer of an upcoming NBC docuseries about her basketball journey. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is the first time a college athlete has ever starred in and produced a docuseries about their own life while still playing an NCAA sport.
In October, Watkins signed a multi-year extension with Nike and added a new deal with Gatorade to her NIL portfolio. However, at 19 years old, Watkins isn’t quite on the cusp of making the jump to the WNBA just yet. The league requires domestic draft entrants be at least 22 years old during the year in which the draft occurs.
