Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
USC

Lindsay Gottlieb reveals pregame message JuJu Watkins delivered to USC before Sweet 16

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•03/30/25•

BarkleyTruax

USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb greets guard JuJu Watkins (12) as she comes out of the game in the fourth quarter of an NCAA Tournament game against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Galen Center
USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb greets guard JuJu Watkins (12) as she comes out of the game in the fourth quarter of an NCAA Tournament game against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Galen Center. (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images)

JuJu Watkins‘ torn ACL will keep her out of action for the forseeable future, but that doesn’t mean she’s not invested in the success of her USC Trojans. According to head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, her voice was one of the loudest in the locker room before and after the Sweet 16 win vs. Kansas State.

“I was just FaceTiming with her after in the locker room,” Gottlieb said. “She just, she hit me and just said how proud she was, before this game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are. And then right after, it was hard to hear in the locker room, but there were a lot of smiles, and my daughter was blowing kisses to her and said, ‘JuJu’s not hurt?’ And I said, ‘No, she’s still hurt, but she’s happy today and with us.’

“So just trying to keep her, like they said, her spirit with us. She’s just such an incredible young person and I think the way the team has responded says a lot about them, but also a lot about her and the true amount of chemistry that they have with each other.”

Despite being able to reach the Elite Eight, it still serves as a massive blow to the Trojans’ gameplan. In fact, they’re double-digit underdogs to the UConn Huskies on Monday night because of it.

Watkins’ injury happened during the first half of the Trojans’ Round of 32 matchup against Mississippi State. She was dribbling the ball between two Bulldogs defenders, and drew a foul as she went down. She clutched her knee immediately and was eventually carried off the court after some time.

She exited the game at the 4:43 minute mark of the first quarter as the Trojans led 13-2. Avery Howell entered the game for Watkins and shot the free throws in her place. From there, USC would amass a lead as high as 46 points without their star guard.

Entering the Sweet 16 against Kansas State, it was unsure what to expect from USC with Watkins out of the lineup. The Trojans trailed early against the Wildcats but was able to regain the lead in the second half, survive and advance to the Elite Eight. Now set to take on UConn on Monday night with a spot in the Final Four on the line, Gottlieb will need an even greater effort from her Trojans to take down the Huskies.