JuJu Watkins, the star guard for the No. 1 seed USC Trojans and favorite to win the women’s National Player of the Year award, has been ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a torn ACL, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The injury occurred in the first quarter of the team’s Round of 32 matchup against No. 9 seed Mississippi State in Los Angeles. Galen Center was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
JuJu Watkins Tears ACL, Ending NCAA Tournament and Season
Eventually, after several minutes on the ground, USC’s staff took her to the locker room. While the Trojans rolled on to a big 96-59 victory, they had to do it without the sophomore sensation.
Breaking: USC phenom JuJu Watkins has suffered a torn ACL in her right knee, sources tell ESPN. She will undergo surgery. pic.twitter.com/2qMvpXTGwI
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 25, 2025
The sophomore sensations season has officially ended, and the sports world is devastated. Watkins finished the year averaging 25 points per game, seven rebounds, and over three assists.
Star big Kiki Irafen, along with freshman Kennedy Smith, senior Rayah Marshall, and the rest of the USC Trojans, will have to step up significantly to make up for the production of their superstar.
The most significant concern with this injury is her return timetable. A torn ACL is typically a nine-to-twelve-month injury. That doesn’t just rule her out for the rest of this year’s March Madness tournament but could also jeopardize her 2025 campaign.
Paige Bueckers and the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies won big Monday against the No. 10 seed South Dakota State Jackrabbits, which means we are just one win away from USC and UConn getting a blockbuster matchup.
These two players put on a classic earlier this season as USC avenged UConn for knocking them out of the tournament last year with a 72-70 win. But now that Watkins is out, this potential tournament game might be a little different.
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Though Watkins will not face off against Bueckers again this year, she can still take something away from the former National Player of the Year. Bueckers has also torn her ACL midway through her collegiate career, and it might be wise for Watkins to seek advice from the UConn superstar.
As basketball fans, we circled this matchup when the brackets went live. This is a massive blow to the tournament, but there are still many phenomenal stars in women’s college basketball who will make it exciting.
USC will play No. 5 seed Kansas State on Saturday night in a battle to reach the Elite 8.
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