JuJu Watkins injury update: USC receives devastating news on star guard

USC’s JuJu Watkins went down with an injury last night that did not look good in the moment based on all of the reaction. Now, per the program, it’s as bad as they’d all feared.

In a tweet sent out following the 96-59 win over Mississippi State in the Round of 32 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament, the Trojans announced that Watkins had an unspecified injury that would be season-ending with surgery to come for her. ESPN’s Shams Charania then reported soon after that it was a torn ACL – with the assumption at the time being that it was a significant issue with her right knee based on the on-court look.

JuJu Watkins sustained a season-ending injury in the NCAA Second Round on Monday night. She will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation shortly thereafter.

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 25, 2025

“JuJu Watkins sustained a season-ending injury in the NCAA Second Round on Monday night. She will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation shortly thereafter,” wrote USC Women’s Basketball.

“Breaking: USC phenom JuJu Watkins has suffered a torn ACL in her right knee, sources tell ESPN,” Charania tweeted. “She will undergo surgery.”

Running a fastbreak midway through the first quarter, Watkins went down heading toward their basket. She then laid on the court holding her right knee with an awful reaction to it in real time that suggested how serious it really was. After being tended to by team personnel, Watkins was then carried off by two people from the court of the Galen Center and obviously did not return to the game for ‘SC as she was taken to a hospital for an MRI.

This is shocking news across the sport of women’s college basketball. It’s obviously devastating for Watkins, arguably the best player in the game, as well as for one of the No. 1 seeds in the bracket with USC and the city of Los Angeles with what it does to their hopes of winning the Women’s NCAA Tournament. It’s just as jarring for the rest of the game as well with many sending love her way from all over, including from names like LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and Angel Reese.

Watkins exited the game with three points, all from free throws, with two assists, a rebound, and a turnover. That’s after Watkins, the favorite to win the Wooden Award, averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks as a sophomore this season at USC.

This is an injury that’ll impact everything in the sport, namely Watkins and the Trojans, going even into next season as she fully rehabs from the tear. The immediate effect, though, is massive too with one of the contenders losing one of the very best players that the game has to offer.