USC’s JuJu Watkins becomes first women’s college athlete to sign exclusive deal with Fanatics

The agreement includes autographed memorabilia (photos and basketballs), as well as trading cards that will include Watkins’ autographs and game-worn items. As a result of the deal, Fanatics Collectibles will also now be able to feature Watkins in her USC uniform on its cards, with the first standard issue coming in the 2025 Bowman University Chrome Basketball product, which is currently listed as being “available soon.”

Watkins becomes the first woman college athlete to sign such a deal with Fanatics. (Photo courtesy of Fanatics)

That product also includes the highly anticipated first Bowman card of Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who signed a similar exclusive deal with Fanatics. UConn’s Paige Bueckers and WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark are signed to exclusive deals with Fanatics rival in the memorabilia and trading card space, Panini, which currently holds the exclusive trading card license for the WNBA.

Watkins’ first Bowman card appeared in 2022 Bowman University Chrome and showed her in a logoless uniform. Despite that, the rarest versions and autographed variations of that card have sold for thousands of dollars over the last year.

Fanatics says that the agreement with Watkins “will continue into the next level of her career,” indicating that the deal could extend into her professional career once she makes the jump to the WNBA.

In November, Watkins achieved another first in the collectibles space when she became the first active NCAA athlete to inspire