WNBA’s stifling draft rules need to change with the times

JuJu Watkins looks ready to go pro.

The two-way menace has been a cheat code for No. 4 USC the past two seasons and is playing with a more premier skill set than many of her NCAA counterparts. In some instances, Watkins looks like a varsity starter playing against the junior varsity squad.

But Watkins, 19, couldn’t declare for the 2025 WNBA draft even if she wanted to.

She can thank the WNBA’s archaic rules, which restrict women basketball players from leaving college early to go pro.