JuJu Watkins, the sensational sophomore who led Southern California to its best season in nearly 40 years, was honored Thursday as The Associated Press women’s college basketball Player of the Year.

Watkins, whose Trojans won the Big Ten regular-season title for its first conference crown in 31 years, received 29 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo got the other two. Both were first-team AP All-Americans.

Watkins became just the fourth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris (2007) and UConn stars Maya Moore (2009) and Breanna Stewart (2014). The AP first started giving out the award in 1995. Watkins is the first Trojans player to win it.

Watkins is already in the top 10 on USC’s all-time scoring list, ranking sixth in just two years.

She was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists before her season was cut short in the NCAA Tournament with an ACL injury suffered in the second round against Mississippi State.

Watkins raised her game against the best opponents. In the six games against teams in AP top 10, she averaged 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4% from behind the 3-point line.

Watkins is already one of the top draws in the sport with endorsement deals to match and seeing her in person has become a hotter ticket.

The Trojans’ average home attendance rose to 5,932 this season from last year’s 4,421. The year before she arrived attendance averaged 1,037.

UCLA’s Close named women’s COTY

Cori Close, who led UCLA to its first women’s Final Four during one of the best seasons in school history, was named The Associated Press Coach of the Year.

The Bruins earned the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll for the first time ever, holding the spot for 14 weeks as they piled up win after win on their way to grabbing the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

She received 16 votes from the 31-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week.

Mark Campbell of TCU finished second with five votes. Vic Schaefer of Texas got three votes and Kentucky’s Kenny Brooks received two.

UCLA, which set a program record for most wins in a season with 34, faces UConn on Friday night in a national semifinal and is two wins away from the first NCAA championship in program history. The Bruins won an AIAW championship in 1978 before the women’s NCAA Tournament existed.

Auburn’s Broome returns to practice

Auburn forward Johni Broome returned to practice for the Tigers and said he has no pain in his right elbow and “no limitations” ahead of the Tigers’ Final Four matchup with Florida.

Broome, a unanimous first-team AP All-American, is the Tigers’ leading scorer and emotional leader. Auburn got a major scare when he injured his elbow in the Tigers’ win over Michigan State to get to the Final Four.

He returned to that game but had been held out of practice until the team arrived in San Antonio.

Broome wore two layers of sleeves on his right arm and said he made sure to test the elbow by pushing and shoving with teammates in game situations. The idea was to “make it mad a little bit” to see how it would respond.

Broome said he was having no pain.

He had 25 points and 14 rebounds against Michigan State but briefly left the game after a hard fall as the elbow bent at an awkward angle.