USC star Juju Watkins will miss the remainder of the NCAA Tournament, and likely a portion of next season after suffering a torn right ACL vs. Mississippi State on Monday.
Watkins was driving towards the basket on a rather innocent looking play, when her right leg appeared to give out from underneath her. The 19 year old could be seen in visible pain on the ground as teammates and training staff quickly surrounded her.
After being carried back to the locker room, Watkins was subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the contest, a game which USC won handily, 96-59, giving the Trojans their first 30 win season since 1986. Additional imaging confirmed what many inside the Galen Center feared when they saw the injury take place; Watkins had torn her ACL, ending her tournament run prematurely.
“I’ve never heard an arena get so quiet so quickly,” a USC staff member told reporters.
“She always has a lot of cameras on her, so my first thought was to try to get in front of the one that I saw,” guard Talia von Oelhoffen said. “Everyone’s zooming in on her, and it’s just not a great moment. So, I was just trying to get around her to cover as much as we can and just make sure she knows that we’re all there.”
“I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu on the floor crying,” Lindsay Gottlieb said following the contest. “This is a human game, so I obviously tried my best to be what I need to be for the team, but internally it’s a lot.”
When Watkins is at her best, there are few in the game that can slow her down. She made USC a bonafide title contender in a year where the Trojans captured a 1 seed, and had a relatively smooth path to an Elite 8 appearance ahead of them. Without her, and suddenly the talented USC squad appears vulnerable for the first time in a long time.
Watkins is a two-time All-American selection, who averaged 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season for the cardinal and gold.
With a date against Kansas St, a veteran heavy lineup featuring Hailey Van Lith, on the docket, the Trojans now have their work cut out for them in the Sweet 16. Even if they were to dispatch of K-State, they face an uphill battle from there, one that becomes significantly more difficult without Watkins.
USC reached the Elite Eight last year, eventually losing to Paige Bueckers and UConn. The teams could meet again in a regional final in Spokane, Wash., this year if both teams win their next contests. But the whole USC squad is fully aware of the monumental task at hand.
“She’s the key for us. We didn’t want to let her down,” USC’s Kiki Iriafen told reporters following the game. “We just want to keep dancing, so whatever it takes is what I wanted to do. I think it just shows our toughness.”
Iriafen and her squad will have a few days to compartmentalize the events of Monday before heading back to the court on Saturday for their Sweet 16 matchup.
Photo: USAG-Humphreys. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.