Two-time All-American and 2024-25 Big Ten Player of the Year JuJu Watkins suffered a torn right ACL Monday night in an NCAA Tournament second-round game. Many members of the general public have been blaming Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ mom, Regina Jackson, since then.
Fans Are Blaming Regina Jackson for JuJu Watkins Season-Ending Torn ACL
Watkins has been living the life for the past two years. As one of the brightest stars in NCAA women’s basketball, Watkins has led a revival in southern California, where the USC Trojans have not been to a Final Four in 39 years.
In just two seasons in Los Angeles, Watkins has brought USC’s expectations back to a place they haven’t been since Hall of Famer Cheryl Miller roamed the hardcourt. Watkins is already a two-time AP All-American.
She’s been the Player of the Year in two conferences — the Pac-12 and now the Big Ten this season. The Trojans have gone 59-9 with her in the lineup, reaching the Elite 8 last year and now the Sweet 16 this season.
But if USC is to reach its first Final Four since 1986 — or if it’s even going to get back to the region final and a potential rematch with UConn — the Trojans will have to do battle without Watkins. And apparently, it’s all Regina Jackson’s fault.
Watkins went down in a heap of pain just five minutes into the Trojans’ NCAA Tournament second-round matchup at home against the Mississippi State Bulldogs Monday night. Watkins tore her right ACL, and, just like that, her season was over. Surgery and a lengthy rehab are in her near future.
Since the injury occurred, folks have been pointing their fingers at and placing the blame for Watkins’ setback on Jackson.
A video clip of Daniels, Watkins, and Jackson has gone viral. Daniels, the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and 2023 Heisman Trophy winner with LSU, and his mother were in L.A. at the Galen Center to watch some first-round games of the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Watkins and USC had already defeated UNC Greensboro handily, 71-25.
@thefinal_official Jayden Daniels mom got right in between him & JuJu Watkins 🤣 #jaydendaniels #jujuwatkins #marchmadness #commanders #usc ♬ Anxiety – Doechii
Videos show Watkins and Daniels conversing before Jackson, at one point, sits between them and starts talking to Watkins herself. There is no publicly known dating history between the 19-year-old USC star and 24-year-old NFL quarterback, although Daniels was also seen in the stands when Watkins and USC faced crosstown rival UCLA last month. But Jackson is not taking any chances.
Numerous sites have referred to Jackson’s appearance on Prime Video’s
“The Money Game,” which followed Daniels and other standout LSU athletes and showed how they managed and navigated the new world of NIL deals.
Jackson went viral ahead of the Commanders’ NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles for her comments in the docuseries, where she emphatically declared that girls were what concerned her the most about her son entering the NFL.
“Them girls,” Jackson said. “Some girl out here, she’s got a Jayden Daniels wall, and her mama says, ‘Hey honey, you’re going to the be the one to get ‘em.’ And I know that sounds crazy, but I guarantee there’s someone who’s trying to get their hooks into Jayden Daniels … So, thank god he got a mama like me because it ain’t happening.”
Even though there is no official connection between Daniels and Watkins, the video of Jackson inserting herself between the two rising sports celebrities, followed almost immediately by Watkins’ ACL tear, led to some irrational reactions.
After The Shade Room, a trending celebrity and news source, shared the video of Watkins’ injury, many of those who commented blamed Jackson, with one saying, “Now look, everything was good till she ran into that boy mama. I hope she recovers.”
KEEP READING: USC vs. Kansas State Prediction — Life Without JuJu Watkins Begins
Jackson obviously had nothing to do with Watkins’ unfortunate season-ending injury, but that won’t stop the conspiracy theorists from calling her out.
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