The Sweet 16 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament is finally here. However, there are some notable injury updates that might shake up the competition. Some teams are without key players as they head into the regional semifinals. Here’s a look at who’s impacted and how it might change their chances.
Women’s NCAA Tournament Injury Tracker
No. 1 Seed USC Trojans
G Juju Watkins: This is the big one here. The USC Trojans, a No. 1 seed, suffered a massive blow when star guard JuJu Watkins tore her right ACL in the second-round game against Mississippi State. She’s out for the rest of the tournament and likely some of next season, as well.
Despite the loss, USC crushed Mississippi State 96-59, thanks to Kiki Iriafen’s 36 points.
The Trojans face No. 5 seed Kansas State on Saturday. They’ll lean on Iriafen and others to fill the gap. Without Watkins, their championship hopes have taken a serious hit.
No. 3 Seed LSU Tigers
F Aneesah Morrow: Not every Sweet 16 team is dealing with clear-cut losses like USC. Some have players recovering or facing small, lingering issues. LSU’s Aneesah Morrow, a vital forward for the No. 3 seed Tigers, sprained her mid-foot during the SEC Tournament.
She’s expected to suit up against No. 2 seed N.C. State on Friday, as confirmed by Coach Kim Mulkey. Morrow played well so far in March Madness, helping LSU dominate Florida State 101-71.
No. 5 Seed Kansas State Wildcats
C Ayoka Lee: Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee, the star center for the No. 5 seed Wildcats, missed time earlier this season with a foot injury. However, she is back now and giving a good performance so far. She scored 16 points and nine rebounds in an overtime win over No. 4 seed Kentucky.
RELATED: Who’s in the Women’s Sweet 16? Here’s the Full List of Teams Advancing
No. 1 seeds like UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas report no big setbacks as of Wednesday.
No. 2 seeds NC State and TCU, plus No. 3 Notre Dame, No. 4 Maryland, and No. 5 teams Tennessee and Ole Miss, also appear injury-free as of now.
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