March Madness 2025: USC star JuJu Watkins carried off floor, suffered torn ACL in win over Mississippi State

JuJu Watkins went down with a serious knee injury in the first quarter of USC’s 96-59 win No. 9 Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Monday night.

Now, her season is over.

Watkins suffered a torn ACL in her right knee in the win on Monday night, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. USC confirmed the season-ending injury after the game, too. Watkins will now be out for the rest of the NCAA tournament and undergo surgery, which will likely impact her at the start of next season, too.

Just after the midway point in the first quarter at the Galen Center on Monday night, Watkins seemed to collide with a pair of Bulldogs players while trying to drive to the rim on a fast break. She crashed to the court near the baseline, and immediately grabbed at her right knee and was clearly in a lot of pain. She remained down a while before eventually being helped up and carried off the court.

Watkins didn’t return to the game, and USC head coach Lindsey Gottlieb didn’t provide much detail on Watkins’ status after the game, saying, “I don’t have an update. She’s getting incredible medical care.”

Watkins didn’t put any weight on her leg, and her facial expression made it seem like she was in a lot of pain as she stood up.

“I’ll be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu on the court and crying,” Gottlieb told reporters after the game.

Officials reviewed the play, but it remained a common foul. Watkins had three points when she went down. ESPN’s Holly Rowe said at the start of the second half that Watkins had been wheeled out of the building on her way to get an MRI at the university’s medical center. That MRI, according to Charania, revealed the torn ACL.

Despite Watkins’ injury, the Trojans still flew ahead to a blowout win behind a 36-point night from Kiki Iriafen, who shot 16 of 22 from the field in Watkins’ absence.

After Watkins’ injury, fans repeatedly booed Mississippi State players throughout the game. There was also tension between two teams after the game. Players jawed at each other during the handshake line, and some players had to be separated.

After earning the final No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, USC will now reach the Sweet 16 for a second straight season. They’ll now face No. 5 Kansas State in Spokane.

While Watkins is now out for the remainder of the tournament, the Trojans still found a way to grab a massive win without her. Though undoubtedly diminished, their chances at a deep NCAA tournament run are far from over.

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