Los Angeles held its breath on Monday evening. JuJu Watkins—one of college basketball’s elite talents—suffered a troubling injury during the USC Trojans’ NCAA tournament second-round game against Mississippi State. Watkins, the star guard, clutched her knee in sharp pain. A teammate helped her off the court and into the USC locker room.
Soon after, ESPN reported on her state. USC confirmed that Watkins would not return to the game and that medical staff are now evaluating her condition. USC Women’s Basketball stated on X, “JuJu Watkins is being evaluated by USC Keck Medicine staff and will not return to competition in tonight’s NCAA Second Round game.”
Before her injury, Watkins had scored only three points. She went 0-2 from the field but made three of four free throws. She also added two assists and one rebound. USC needed to beat Mississippi State to move against Kansas State in the Sweet Sixteen. The team focused on winning while watching over Watkins’ health.
ESPN’s Holly Rowe shared how the Trojans felt after Watkins left the game. Without their leading scorer, USC outscored Mississippi State 15-5 during the half without her. Rowe observed, “It’s been kind of a wild emotional roller coaster over here. When the injury first happened, players came to the bench stunned, shocked, and very upset. They had to quickly regroup.”
Rowe highlighted head coach Lindsey Gottlieb’s role. Gottlieb paused, gathered herself, and then refocused the team on the basics of basketball. “In that last timeout, they are just talking about Xs and Os, but it is freshmen who are having to step up right now,” Rowe explained. “Two true freshmen out on the court will need to be the ones who bring them back.”
Rowe also noted that several important figures moved to check on Watkins. USC athletic director Jen Cohen and medical staff came forward as the team fought to maintain its calm. She said more details will come as they become available.
Now, eyes stay on both the game and the health of JuJu Watkins—a player crucial to USC’s hopes this tournament season.
