LOS ANGELES — Southern California superstar guard JuJu Watkins’ suffered a season-ending knee injury Monday night.
It’s an injury that not only drastically changes the USC’s season, but the entire women’s NCAA Tournament. Arguably the biggest star in the sport, Watkins has been the leader for USC this season as the Trojans secured the No. 1 seed in March Madness for the second straight year. The Trojans are in the Sweet 16 and with a loaded roster led by Watkins, it was a favorite to bring home USC’s first national championship since 1984. But that may be in doubt now with her no longer available for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.
Here’s what we know about Watkins’ knee injury.
What happened to JuJu Watkins?
Watkins suffered her season-ending knee injury early in the first quarter of the second round matchup against Mississippi State. About five minutes into the contest, Watkins was driving toward the basket when it appeared her knee buckled as Mississippi State defenders surrounded her.
She immediately fell to the ground and was visibly in pain as she grabbed her right knee. Medical staff attended to her as a hush fell over the Galen Center crowd. Watkins was carried off the court and into the locker room.
Did JuJu Watkins tear her ACL?
Yes, Watkins tore her anterior cruciate ligament, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. The team has not yet confirmed the diagnosis, saying only it was a season-ending injury. The average recovery time for an ACL injury is around nine months, according to a study from Stanford, though some athletes have returned sooner than that.
How long will JuJu Watkins be out for?
Watkins will be out for the remainder of the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, and could end up missing a significant portion of the 2025-26 season.
What USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said
Prior to learning about Watkins’ season-ending injury, Gottlieb said she was feeling ‘a lot of emotions.’
‘Something didn’t go right for us,’ Gottlieb said. ‘You never want anyone to go down, especially someone like JuJu, that we all lean on in so many ways. But this team rallied. They rallied for her. They rallied for each other. Our fans had our back. I’m just really proud. I think we showed what kind of team we are.
‘It was a true team effort, and I don’t think I’ll forget this night for a lot of reasons.’
How did Watkins’ USC teammates react?
The Trojans didn’t let the injury to their star player deter them in the 37-point victory over the Bulldogs. USC led by 46 points at one point in the fourth quarter. Kiki Iriafen, who had a game-high 36 points with nine rebounds, said the team didn’t want their season to end.
‘It’s hard when you have such a key player not with you, but at the end of the day we have to win the game,’ she said. ‘For us, it’s just that we want to make sure we got the job done, want our season to be extended. Rallying, doing whatever we can to make sure we could get out of Galen (Center).’
Gottlieb said after the injury happened, she tried to look her team in the eye and say they could still win the game if they focused and locked in.
‘They had her back. I think they had each other’s back. They stuck together,’ Gottlieb said.
What’s next for USC women’s basketball?
USC will play in the Sweet 16 against Kansas State in the Spokane 2 Regional. As for how USC tries to replace their star player, it does have options.
Oregon State transfer Talia von Oelhoffen is the likely choice to step into point guard duties instantly given her experience, while the Trojans can also lean on freshman sensation Kennedy Smith. She has a yearlong chemistry with Watkins and has been a force in the starting lineup. Gottlieb also could also turn to Watkins’ current backup, Malia Samuels, to take over. Freshman Kayleigh Heckel showed some point guard capabilities on Tuesday and could see an expanded role off the bench.