On March 24, 2025, the women’s NCAA Tournament took a heartbreaking turn when USC superstar JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury during a second-round game against Mississippi State. As reported by USA Today, the Trojans’ 96-59 victory was overshadowed by the sight of Watkins collapsing in agony just five minutes into the contest at Galen Center, clutching her right knee after a fast-break collision. The diagnosis, confirmed later that night, was a torn ACL—an injury that not only ends her sophomore campaign but also reshapes the tournament landscape and dims the spotlight on one of women’s basketball’s brightest stars.
Watkins, a 19-year-old Los Angeles native, had been a transcendent force for USC. Averaging 24.6 points per game, she led the Trojans to a No. 1 seed and carried the torch as the sport’s next big thing following Caitlin Clark’s departure to the WNBA. Her flair—slick ballhandling, a smooth jumper, and an effortless cool—drew fans, celebrities, and casual viewers alike. The USA Today piece captures the cruel irony: moments after her collapse, a commercial featuring Watkins aired, a reminder of her omnipresence in the game’s growing popularity. Now, her absence leaves a void in a tournament poised for historic viewership.
The injury occurred as Watkins drove between two defenders, her knee buckling under pressure. Teammates shielded her as she writhed in pain, and trainers carried her off, the Galen Center crowd falling silent. Despite the loss, USC rallied, with Kiki Iriafen dropping 36 points to secure the Sweet 16 berth. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb praised the team’s resilience but couldn’t mask her distress, saying, “I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu on the floor and crying.” The Trojans now face Kansas State next, but their title hopes—and a much-anticipated Elite Eight clash with UConn—feel distant without their star.
This isn’t just USC’s loss; it’s a blow to women’s basketball. Watkins versus UConn’s Paige Bueckers was a marquee matchup fans craved—a rematch of last year’s Elite Eight thriller, where Bueckers’ Huskies edged out Watkins’ Trojans 80-73. This year, with USC’s 72-70 regular-season win over UConn in December, the stakes were even higher. USA Today columnist Blake Toppmeyer laments the missed opportunity, noting how Watkins’ injury “dilutes the potential USC-UConn rematch” and robs the sport of a defining moment. UConn, now favored at +175 odds per BetMGM, suddenly has a clearer path, while USC’s championship dreams fade from +550 to +2500.
The broader impact stings too. Women’s basketball has been riding a wave of momentum, fueled by stars like Watkins. Her injury joins a grim list—Bueckers, Olivia Miles, Elizabeth Kitley—all sidelined by knee issues in recent years. Yet, as Toppmeyer writes, “It just stinks”—for USC, for fans, for a sport losing its latest icon mid-March. Watkins’ recovery, estimated at 9-12 months, casts uncertainty over her junior season, but her legacy endures. For now, the Trojans soldier on, and the tournament rolls forward, dimmer without her light.
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