“Zero defense and a turnover machine”: Fans tear down JuJu Watkins vs Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers debate after Notre Dame crush USC.

Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers (Image credit: IMAGN)

Despite JuJu Watkins’ electric performance scoring 24 points, the USC Trojans defense remained porous as Notre Dame cruised to a 74-61 victory on Saturday.

Hoops fans on X/Twitter vent their frustrations with many criticizing the USC sophomore while also weighing in on the debate of Watkins being up against former Iowa great Caitlin Clark and UConn star Paige Bueckers as the best women’s college basketball player.

Below are some of the reactions:

“I am sure that Juju is better than Clark. Juju has a post-up game, a midrange game, can make plays. She is better all-around player. Clark plays zero defense and is a turnover machine,” one user wrote. “Paige Bueckers is also a better player than Clark and much likable. They are coming.”

“I’m not even a Caitlin Clark fan, but people better stop saying JuJu will be better than Caitlin in the WNBA. JuJu is so basic when she’s being defended hard. All she does is use the backboard to score and draw fouls because she’s so limited when the defense is solid,” another fan tweeted.

“Anybody who think JuJu is better than Paige Bueckers is mental, please seek help,” one user claimed.

Here are some more tweets:

“And y’all told me JUJU was closer to Caitlin Clark? Hmmmmm not even close,” another fan chimed in.

“Paige not shooting 25 shots with only 24 points,” one fan pointed out, alluding to JuJu Watkins’ 10-25 shooting in the loss.

“@HannahHidalgo is better than Juju Watkins. Stop thinking she is better than Caitlin. She cold but Clark is one of one,” another fan tweeted.

“She’s overrated. I said I would take Paige over juju all day ppl were like no way,” one more fan said.

“Yes folks have actually said Juju has a shot at Caitlin’s scoring record which she doesn’t.,” another argued.

JuJu Watkins’ stats vs. Notre Dame

JuJu Watkins, dubbed the next face of women’s basketball, had 24 points on 10-of-25, with six rebounds, five assists and five turnovers in the loss to the Fighting Irish.

She had a tough start, scoring two points in the first quarter and making only one of her eight shot attempts. However, she did much better in the second half — scoring 11 points in the third quarter and eight points in the fourth. Unfortunately, her five 3-point attempts were also all missed.

JuJu Watkins’ game by numbers:

Watkins, a first-team All-American, scored 920 points last campaign, breaking the freshman record for most points scored. In the first five games of this season, she has already tallied 110 points, averaging 21.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

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