Photo by: Travis Ellison
USC All-American JuJu Watkins Sustains Season-Ending Injury
March 26, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Sophomore guard will be sidelined for the duration of USC’s NCAA Tournament run after injury in the Second Round.
All-American sophomore guard JuJu Watkins sustained a season-ending injury during the No. 1 seeded USC women's basketball team's NCAA Second Round game. She will undergo surgery and miss the remainder of USC's 2025 NCAA Tournament run as the Trojans now prepare for the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight season.
"JuJu is a special player — unquestionably tough physically and mentally — and she is deeply loved by her team and her Trojan Family," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "One thing I know about JuJu is that she is resilient. We are in full support of her and believe that this injury will not shake her drive and dedication to be the best player and person she can be, and to help her teammates shine. JuJu's toughness, her talent and her competitive spirit have impacted our program in more ways than people realize and will continue to inspire us in our pursuit of a national championship."
Watkins has already earned National Player of the Year honors from The Athletic and Sporting News and is a USWBA and Associated Press First Team All-American for the second time as she stands as the Trojans' top scorer in 2024-25 while leading the team in assists, steals and free throws made. She ranks as USC's No. 9 all-time scorer with 1,709 career points after posting seven games with 30 or more points this season. She became the quickest Trojan in history to reach the 1,000-point mark, and was named Big Ten Player of the Year in USC's debut in the conference.
Next up for No. 1 seed USC is a trip to Spokane, Wash., for competition in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen against No. 5 seed Kansas State at 5 p.m. on Saturday (March 29).
"JuJu is a special player — unquestionably tough physically and mentally — and she is deeply loved by her team and her Trojan Family," USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "One thing I know about JuJu is that she is resilient. We are in full support of her and believe that this injury will not shake her drive and dedication to be the best player and person she can be, and to help her teammates shine. JuJu's toughness, her talent and her competitive spirit have impacted our program in more ways than people realize and will continue to inspire us in our pursuit of a national championship."
Watkins has already earned National Player of the Year honors from The Athletic and Sporting News and is a USWBA and Associated Press First Team All-American for the second time as she stands as the Trojans' top scorer in 2024-25 while leading the team in assists, steals and free throws made. She ranks as USC's No. 9 all-time scorer with 1,709 career points after posting seven games with 30 or more points this season. She became the quickest Trojan in history to reach the 1,000-point mark, and was named Big Ten Player of the Year in USC's debut in the conference.
Next up for No. 1 seed USC is a trip to Spokane, Wash., for competition in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen against No. 5 seed Kansas State at 5 p.m. on Saturday (March 29).
Players Mentioned
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