Juju Watkins has become one of the best players in women’s university basketball.
The USC goalkeeper suffered a knee injury at the end of the season in a second round match in the NCAA tournament.
While the USC has exceeded the state of Kansas in Sweet 16, short -term Trojan horses have been eliminated links in the elite eight. The day after the 78-64 victory of UCONN on the USC, Watkins expressed her gratitude for the support she has received since her heartbreak of an ACL.
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The USC Trojans goalkeeper Juju Watkins (12) during pre-match warming up, before a NCAA tournament match in the second round against the Bulldogs of the Mississippi State 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 your kind words have meant the world for me – you have all gave me so much hope,” Watkins wrote in an article on his Instagram story.
WNBA legend reveals a reaction of 1 word to the devastating devastating injury of Juju Watkins
“Right now, my heart is with my teammates – I would have liked to be able to fight, but I could not be more proud of the fight that we fought together. Thank you all.”
The USC Trojans goalkeeper Juju Watkins grabs his knee after falling on the ground during the first quarter of the NCAA tournament match in the second round against the Bulldogs of the Mississippi State at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro / Imagn images)
Uconn’s victory over the USC hit the Huskies ticket for the Final Four. UCONN faces UCLA on Friday.
The USC has entered this year’s tournament as a seeded. The Trojan horses also obtained a seeded n ° 1 last year and qualified for the elite eight. Uconn also eliminated the USC in the elite eight in 2024.
Watkins was the victim of a fault as she went to the basket during a quick break about five minutes in a match of March 24 against the state of Mississippi. Her right knee seemed to complete the game, and she fell on the ground, where she remained much more than a minute of visible pain, grabbing her knee.
USC goalkeeper Juju Watkins (12) against Mississippi Jordan (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 carried out an exceptional first-year campaign during the 2023-24 season, and its impressive performance continued this year. The native of Los Angeles collected an average of 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 33 games this season.
USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said Watkins’ status for the 2025-26 season was not clear.
“We don’t know what Juju will do. Will she take all year round and the red shirt? Will she try to come back at some point,” Gottlieb told ESPN on Monday. “These are not conversations at the moment, but I think we will dive into the way we remain an elite team whatever these circumstances. We will have time to understand how to be great, even if Juju is not there.”
