JuJu Watkins is the kind of talent that promises to completely change the trajectory of a WNBA franchise. She’s a two-way star who looks like a centerpiece for a future championship team.Â
Teams are understandably already vying for her. The only problem is that at this point we’re not sure when she will be in the draft. If she’s committed to being the number-one pick, she will likely declare for 2027. If she doesn’t care that teams may pick Sarah Strong over her, she could opt to stay at USC for an extra year, which could be an intriguing option if she doesn’t lead the program to a national championship next season.Â
Several teams want and need Watkins for the 2027 season, but no team needs her more than the Houston Comets. They desperately need a young star to build around after leaving Connecticut.Â
The Sun/Comets don’t have a franchise star yet
Out of the teams currently rebuilding or starting their WNBA tenure in the case of the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire, the Sparks and Comets need Watkins the most. Drafting a hometown superstar would be the one way the Sparks can truly make up for sending both Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam to the Seattle Storm and their failed attempt at building a contender around Kelsey Plum instead.Â
Still, the Sparks aren’t set up quite as badly as the Sun/Comets. Cameron Brink is still early in her development after an ACL tear cost her most of her first two seasons, Rae Burrell is having a breakout year, Monique Akoa Makani is a fun young talent, and veteran star Nneka Ogwumike might want to finish her career in Los Angeles, even if the team is struggling.Â
The Comets, meanwhile, will inherit a very flawed roster from the Sun once they move to Houston. Connecticut was forced into a rebuild after Alyssa Thomas, DeWanna Bonner, DiJonai Carrington, and Bri Jones all decided it was time to move on.Â
The problem was that the Sun didn’t get a high draft pick in 2025 after two consecutive semifinal appearances and couldn’t truly kickstart a rebuild around a young star. Moreover, the Sun didn’t control their 2026 first-round pick after giving the Sky a pick swap in the trade for Marina Mabrey. So, despite finishing the 2025 season with just 11 wins, the Sun ended up with the 12th and 15th picks.Â
After those two drafts, the Sun have a collection of interesting young talent with Leila Lacan, Aaliyah Edwards, Nell Angloma, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Diamond Miller, and Saniya Rivers, but no one who projects to be a future franchise star quite yet. That’s what every rebuilding team needs. Seattle has Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam, Washington has Sonia Citron, Kiki Iriafen, and Shakira Austin, and Portland has Carla Leite. Even the Sky, who have not embraced a rebuild, have Sydney Taylor and Rickea Jackson.Â
Lacan and Angloma still have a ton of upside because they are so young, but the Comets need someone who can be a superstar in 2027 to kickstart their revival. After all, the Comets name comes with a lot to live up to. JuJu Watkins is the perfect player for that job.Â
Landing someone like Madison Booker or Hannah Hidalgo, along with a shot at Sarah Strong in the next draft would be a nice consolation prize, but watching Watkins land with another franchise after accumulating the best lottery odds for the 2027 draft would be heartbreaking—assuming that she will be in that draft, of course.
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