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USC women's basketball phenom JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL during her team's second-round win against Mississippi State in the 2025 NCAA Women's March Madness Tournament Monday (March 24) night.
Watkins, 19, appeared to lose her footing and fell while driving to the basket, having immediately grabbed her leg as she appeared to be in intense pain before eventually being carried off the court with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter of the Regional 4 matchup. The sophomore recorded three points prior to her injury with ESPN anchor Elle Duncan confirming she'd be unable to return to the court during the live broadcast.
“We’re just gonna address the elephant in the room, this totally sucks,” Duncan said. “I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say this not only changed the tenor of this game but potentially the tournament.”
The Trojans issued a halftime statement confirming that Watkins was being evaluated by USC Keck Medicine staff and would be absent for the remainder of the game.
“She’s getting seen by our great medical team. We have a group, and a fan base and a team that’s going to have her back no matter what,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said during ESPN's live broadcast. “JuJu is the toughest kid I know and she’s gonna be good one way or another.”
Watkins averaged 24.6 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists while leading USC to a 29-3 record during the 2024-25 season.
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