Juju Watkins has become one of the best players in women’s university basketball.
The USC guard suffered a knee injury that ended the season during a second round game in the NCAA tournament.
While USC surpassed the state of Kansas in the Sweet 16, the short -handed Trojans were eliminated from the dispute in the Eight elite. The day after the 78-64 victory of UCONN over USC, Watkins expressed his gratitude for the support he received since he destroyed a LCA.
CLICK HERE for more sports coverage at Foxnews.com
The Guard of the Trojans of the USC Juju Watkins (12) during the warm -up prior to the game before a tournament game of the second round against the Bulldogs of the state of Mississippi at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn images)
“Thank you all for the incredible love and support. Seeing all your messages and kind words has meant the world for me, everyone has given me high hopes,” Watkins wrote in a publication in his Instagram story.
The WNBA legend reveals a 1 word reaction to the devastating knee injury injury of Juju Watkins
“At this time, my heart is with my teammates, I would like to have been fighting, but I couldn’t be more proud of the fight we have fought together. Thank you all.”
The Usc Trojanos Guard, Juju Watkins, is surrounded by the knee after falling to the floor during the first quarter of a second round NCAA tournament against the Bulldogs of the state of Mississippi at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro/Imagn images)
UConn’s victory over USC hit the Huskies ticket to the Final Four. Uconn faces UCLA on Friday.
USC entered this year’s tournament as a upper sown. The Trojans also obtained a number 1 seed last year and advanced to the Eight Elite. UConn also eliminated USC in the Eight Elite in 2024.
Watkins received a foul while driving to the basket at a quick break of about five minutes in a game of March 24 against the state of Mississippi. His right knee seemed to fasten the work, and fell to the ground, where he remained for more than a minute with visible pain, grabbing his knee.
The USC Juju Watkins Guard (12) against the Mississippi Jordan Jordan State Guard (2) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA tournament on March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Watkins organized an excellent first-year campaign during the 2023-24 season, and his impressive performance continued this year. The Los Angeles native averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 33 games this season.
The USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said the Watkins state for the 2025-26 season is not clear.
“We don’t know what Juju will do. Will you drink all year and the red shirt? Will you try to return at some point,” Gottlieb told ESPN Monday. “Those are not conversations at this time, but I think we will immerse ourselves in how we continue to be an elite team regardless of these circumstances. We will have time to discover how great, even if Juju is not out there.”
