Letters from Lexi

With one season remaining in her Kansas career, the time has arrived for KU soccer star Lexi Watts to pour everything she’s got into her final season on the pitch.

As she does, we’ll follow her every step of the way in the latest edition of our weekly diary series that will chronicle Watts' 2025 season.

Some of what you’ll read here, in Watts' own words, will focus on the stuff happening between the lines — big wins, memorable moments and the grind of the season.

But a lot of it will focus on Watts the person, who loves soccer, loves KU, loves her teammates & coaches and is looking to make one more mark on the program before she says goodbye.

The Watts File

Age: 21 | Number: 18 | Height: 5-7 | Position: Forward

High School: St. James Academy (Lenexa) | Club: Sporting Blue Valley

Notable: Lexi Watts began playing soccer at 3 years old and has not looked back. The daughter of soccer-playing parents, Watts quickly showed her skills in the game en route to earning all-league and all-state honors in high school, where she solidified her status as a goal-scoring machine... During an all-Big 12 freshman year at Kansas in 2022, Watts' 6 goals were the most by a KU freshman since 2012... In Year 2, Watts appeared in all 18 KU matches, finishing second in points scored and third in assists... Last season was Watts' true breakout season, as she finished with a team-best 21 points and 9 goals. Her shots on goal (38) and total shots (82) both ranked in the top seven on KU's all-time, single-season lists, and she was named to the Big 12's all-tournament team as the Most Outstanding Offensive Player of the 2024 Big 12 tourney, with a spot all-Big 12 first team following that.

KU record to date: 14-4-3 overall, 6-4-1 in Big 12 play

Next up: Saturday vs. BYU in the Big 12 tournament title game. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Waco, Texas, and the game will be shown on ESPN+.

It took 20 games to get it done, but Watts finally achieved her season-long pursuit of setting a new career high for goals scored in a season when she scored the Jayhawks’ final goal in a 4-0 rout of West Virginia in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament earlier this week.

The Jayhawks led 3-0 after a dominant performance on both ends of the field and the game was totally in hand. But with around 10 minutes to play, Watts found herself sprinting toward the WVU net with teammate Saige Wimes chasing down a ball to her right.

As Wimes caught up with the ball, she headed it in front of her and it landed at the feet of Watts, who ripped a shot past the WVU goalkeeper to put the cherry on top of KU’s fourth Big 12 tournament victory in the past two years.

Since then, the Jayhawks added another Big 12 tourney win — 2-1 over Colorado on Wednesday night — and they’ll now play for the title on Saturday for the second consecutive season.

Watts did not score in that one, but it was her assist in the second half — to, of all people, Wimes — that tied the game and paved the path for KU to rally for victory.

“I definitely wanted to get one. I remember coming off the field in the second half and I was so mad. I had hit the crossbar, the goalie had made a couple of saves and I was pretty frustrated.”

When her goal went in against the Mountaineers, giving her 10 on the year and 28 for her career – one better than her career high of 9 from last season — Watts was far more concerned about the play Wimes made to make it happen.

“I didn’t want to take the goal from her, and I didn’t know if she was passing to me or what. But when it came right to me, I just had to shoot it. After the game, she told me she was heading it to me, so that worked out.”

Lexi Watts vs. Colorado in the 2025 Big 12 tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. [Kansas Athletics photos]

In the moment, the emotions of winning another postseason game were far more meaningful than her individual achievement.

“I honestly forgot that I was trying to beat my record. I don’t think I thought about it until after the game.”

That, as much as anything she has done all season, is the most definitive sign that Watts, like many of her teammates, has flipped the switch to postseason mode, where it’s winning and advancing that matters above all else.

In fact, when she was asked about the most memorable part of getting her 10^th goal, Watts pointed to what her team did before anything.

“We played a full 90 minutes, which, for us, was like the first time we’ve done that this season. So, that was really good for us and great timing.”

“I would love to score some more goals, obviously, but, at this point, I really only care about just winning. Whatever it takes. Whether it’s I need to pass this or I’m shooting, as long as it goes in the net, I really don’t care. I’d love to get some more, but if it doesn’t happen it doesn’t happen. But, obviously, I’m going to try to get a couple more goals.”

If she does — and the Jayhawks have at least two guaranteed games remaining and perhaps as many as four, five or more depending on what kind of NCAA Tournament run they make — Watts will vault herself even higher onto the Jayhawks’ all-time list of top goal scorers.

The single-season record of 19 belongs to Caroline Smith, who set the mark as a sophomore in 2003. Katie McClure’s 17 goals in 2019 rank second, and both of those may be out of reach.

“So, I just need to get like three hat tricks in the next three games?”

Watts was clearly joking and noted that the suggestion that getting a goal or two in the next 5 or 6 games might be the easiest way to attack the record.

“That would be great.”

Climbing into 3^rd place on the list, where she could move by getting 13 goals, seems within reach, and jumping up to a tie for 4^th place, with 12, or 6^th place, with 11, also seems possible.

Lexi Watts vs. West Virginia in the 2025 Big 12 tournament in Fort Worth, Texas. [Kansas Athletics photos]

As for where Watts sits on the career list, she’s currently tied for 3^rd with 28 and will move into 3^rd place all alone if she’s able to get another one before the season ends.

“No way.”

Way.

Watts scored 6 goals as a freshman, 3 as a sophomore, 9 last year and has 10 and counting this year. Adding those numbers together or chasing down Smith (51 career goals) or McClure (39) on the list was not something she even considered before talking about it recently.

“I just feel like it’s not something that I’m really too concerned about. I’m like, have a good season and win. But hearing the numbers, it makes me want to score more goals because that would be awesome to be up there on those lists next to the best players in KU history. But I’ve never really thought about it like that.”

In addition to helping the Jayhawks make yet another run in the Big 12 tournament, Watts also was recently named first-team all-Big 12 for the second year in a row.

She was joined on the first team by junior Caroline Castans and also in the company of second-team all-Big 12 teammates Jillian Gregorski and Kate Langfelder, both sophomores.

While winning is the main thing on her mind today, Watts acknowledged that earning the all-conference nod and doing it with her teammates was merely another reason to smile about the 2025 season.

“I kind of just hoped I was gonna get it. Especially since I got it last year. I kind of figured if I had a good season it could happen again. But I’m just super-proud of everyone who got it. Those awards don’t mean everything, but it’s still really cool for all of us.”