JuJu Watkins enjoying summer, dreams of playing in 2028 Olympics in hometown Los Angeles

abcnews.go.com:

JuJu Watkins has already thought about how special it would be to play for the U.S. in 2028 at the Olympics in her hometown of Los Angeles

NEW YORK — JuJu Watkins has already thought about how special it would be to play for the U.S. in 2028 at the Olympics in her hometown of Los Angeles.

“That's definitely a long-term goal of mine when I get done with my college career," Watkins said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. «Definitely something I'm looking forward to and having the chance to do that in my city would definitely be a dream come true.”

For now, Watkins is focused on the present and enjoying her summer before heading into her sophomore year at USC. The first-team AP All-American has had a busy couple of days.

She threw out the first pitch at a Dodgers game on Saturday and then flew across the country to New York to take part in a Meta AI event Tuesday night with Chance the Rapper.

“That was definitely crazy, a dream come true,” she said of the pitch. “Grew up a Dodgers fan and to be able to go on the mound and pitch it was really cool. That was like a halfcourt shot, that was pretty far.”

Watkins, who is cool on the court, admitted that being on the mound was nerve-wracking.

“Definitely a lot of pressure. Top five most nervous moments for me. As long as it didn't bounce I was good,” she said.

She had nothing to worry about as her pitch easily made it to the plate.

Watkins has become a national star in women's basketball. She averaged 27.1 points to help USC to its best season in years as the Trojans reached the Elite Eight. Her games routinely have huge crowds, including many celebrities and have become must-watch events at USC.

She's well recognized in Los Angeles, getting mobbed after