Freshman standout Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils are headed to the 2025 NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East Region after securing the ACC championship.
Duke claimed the conference title despite Flagg’s absence due to an ankle injury suffered in the quarterfinals. In his place, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel stepped up, earning ACC Tournament MVP honors. Fortunately for the Blue Devils, Flagg is expected to return for the first round of the tournament.
As he prepares for his March Madness debut, Gatorade collaborated with Flagg and UConn women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers on an Instagram post unveiling a new campaign, “The Take.” The commercial features Flagg, Bueckers, and USC Trojans standout JuJu Watkins, all of whom will compete in the NCAA Tournament.
The new Gatorade advertisement features Cooper Flagg, Paige Bueckers, and JuJu Watkins, showcasing game footage from each of their respective teams as they narrate the commercial together.
“I could talk about what I gave to be here. My work. My sweat. My talent. But what about everything I took? I took their stomping, their yelling, their noise, takes, time, comments—their love. I took everything from them. And now when I’m out there, all I hear is ball.”
The collaborative Instagram post promoting the ad carried the caption: “Give everything to the game and take what’s yours.”
This marks Cooper Flagg’s first commercial with Gatorade, likely the beginning of a long-term partnership for the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Meanwhile, JuJu Watkins is set to receive her own Gatorade water bottle, which will be released on Tuesday and features her personal mantra: “Without Struggle There’s No Progress.”
On the court, Flagg and Duke will begin their March Madness run on Friday, facing the winner of the No. 16 seed play-in game between American and Mount St. Mary’s.
Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins will both play on Saturday, with a potential showdown in the Elite Eight on the horizon.
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