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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Juju Watkins was taken off the floor with a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of a top-seeded Southern California game against Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament Monday night.
One of the biggest stars of women’s basketball, Watkins was surprised by the basketball being chased by two defenders when her knees bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg. She grabbed her knee and felt pain as her teammates surrounded her.
“I would lie if I told him I wasn’t rattling when I saw Juju lying on the floor crying,” Director Lindsay Gottlieb said.
A team spokesman then said Watkins would begin rehabilitation after undergoing surgery.
Southern California guard Juju Watkins will respond after being injured in the second round of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament in Los Angeles on Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jesse Arche)
The crowd at Gallen Center was silent as Gottlieb and two other USC staff members attended Watkins, 19. She was carried to multiple people, with the Trojans leading 13-2.
The Trojans won 96-59 and reached a sweet 16.
“My prayers and thoughts are with Juju,” MSU director Sam Purcell said. “Obviously we are competitors and we don’t particularly want to see the meaning of women’s basketball.”
Watkins enjoys health in her short college career. She started all 34 USC games as a freshman. She scored nationally with 27.1 points in the game. Her 920 points set a national record for freshman scores.
USC arrived at the Elite 8 last year, losing to the Page Bookers and UConn. The team was able to meet again this year in the regional final in Spokane, Washington.
After Watkins was injured, the crowd booed the state of Mississippi with every time he had the ball. The school cheerleaders were booed during their halftime routine and the crowd warmed up over the second half, so they rejoined their team.
“They’re going to stand behind their home team. They’re going to go hard for Juju,” said MSU guard Jakaira Jordan, who scored 17 points. “I could do nothing but respect them.”
Watkins had three free throws, one rebound and two assists in five minutes.
In the second quarter, USC guard Maria Samuels fell sharply at baseline. She was booed by the crowd and Gottlieb hurriedly checked the sophomore again, attacking in Watkins’ absence.
“I was relieved to hear her say, ‘I’m fine,'” Gottlieb said.
The Trojans seemed uneasy about the injury to their stars. They ran across the floor at the celebration after beating the halftime buzzer and being deposited into the bank with a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 50-27.
“They gave us a lot of energy, especially when things weren’t going our way first,” said Kiki Iriafen, who scored a season-high 36 points.
Watkins injured his left hand after the ball stuffed his fingers in USC’s first round blowout victory over USC Greensboro. She later limped and flinched with her left foot.
“It’s the end of the season and my body is getting a bit bang,” she said afterwards. “Next. No one cares. I’m all fine.”
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