USC Star JuJu Watkins Out for Season With Torn ACL Suffered in NCAA Tournament Game
When JuJu Watkins hit the floor and had to be carried off the court during USC's NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State, the immediate fear from many was that she had suffered an ACL injury. And unfortunately those fears have been confirmed.
Watkins indeed did suffer a torn ACL per ESPN's Shams Charania and will undergo surgery to repair the injury, ending her season and NCAA Tournament run. Recovery time from such a procedure is generally in the range of 9 months.
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
This is of course a devastating blow to USC, Watkins, and all basketball fans. Watkins is one of the biggest stars in the sport and was in the midst of attempting to lead her No.1 seeded Trojans to a possible national championship. She was averaging 23.9 points and 6.8 rebounds on the season and is the favorite to win National Player of the Year.
Watkins was also on the precipice of passing Kelsey Mitchell's record for most points scored in a player's first two collegiate seasons as well. But unfortunately her brilliance on the court and chase for any championships and individual history will be sidelined for the time being.
Watkins is not WNBA Draft eligible until 2027. So she still has plenty of time to continue to thrive for USC. And she is an overwhelming favorite to be the top pick when she does eventually enter the pros.
Until then, all fans hope her recovery process is without any setbacks and Watkins is able to get back to doing what she does best in short order. The game will miss her in the meantime.
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Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!