Lindsay Gottlieb addresses JuJu Watkins' injury's impact on elimination, promises 'legendary' comeback

While still being in contention without her, USC saw their title hopes take a significant hit, if not lost them entirely to some, once JuJu Watkins went down with her ACL tear. It was a season-ending issue that absolutely affected them to end this year but is something that the Trojans know she’ll come back from in the next one.

Following the 78-64 loss for No. 1 USC to No. 2 UConn in the Elite Eight in Spokane on Monday, Lindsay Gottlieb was asked about the impact of Watkins’ injury. She said it obviously had an effect on them as they, including herself, haven’t all really processed it. However, Gottlieb did credit her team for stepping up in her absence the way that they did.

“I mean, yeah. I mean, I think, at some point, the emotions of the last seven days will kick in more, you know. You just – it was only tonight a week ago, you know, that one of the best players in college basketball, and just so meaningful to everything we are, went down,” said Gottlieb. “I’m just so proud of the way that everyone rallied. And we wouldn’t have been able to do that if there wasn’t continual growth throughout the year. You know, (Talia von Oelhoffen) mentioned it. We were really good all year but things were not always perfect and easy. When you’re striving for the level of greatness that we were striving for, it’s hard at times and those kids really bought in to hard conversations and getting better even when we’re winning games, sometimes by 20 and 25 points.

“And so, yeah, it’s just really disappointing to not – I mean, I just know what it’s like at the Final Four and I know what it’s like to have a chance, you know, to play two games for a national championship and I’m disappointed for everyone involved in our program to not be there.”

Almost no team could overcome a loss as big as Watkins. She’s arguably the best player in the sport, and absolutely among the top two or three, with averages of 23.9 points (42.6% FG, 32.5% 3PT), 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game.

Because of that, USC just had to do what they could in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. They managed to get by No. 5 Kansas State in the Sweet 16 but were unable to collar No. 2 Connecticut after the first quarter in the fourteen-point putcome, which was the largest margin of loss for them this year. In total, the Trojans had two of their lowest-scoring outings of the entire year with 67 points and 64 points respectively while the 78 points scored by the Huskies was the second-most they’d allowed all season.

Again, this was supposed to go much differently with Watkins leading Southern Cal on a tournament run that could’ve reached their first berth in the Final Four since the mid-80s. Instead, though, the Trojans will head back to Hollywood and wait on the much-anticipated return of their star from this injury.

“But I think, when I just take a little time and, um – like, I’ll still be so just, like, crushed for JuJu and the game because that just wasn’t supposed to happen like that, you know. But I also think, I have no doubt that her comebacks going to be legendary and I have no doubt that the strength of the program, you know, is not in doubt and I think we proved that,” Gottlieb stated.