JuJu Watkins Suffers Season-Ending Injury in Trojans’ Win

During the first quarter of the Round of 32 game between Mississippi State and USC, Trojans’ star player JuJu Watkins crumbled to the ground in clear agony — clutching her right knee.

In the wake of USC besting the Bulldogs by a score of 96-59, reports came out after the game indicating that Watkins did indeed tear an ACL — and that she will undergo season-ending surgery.

It’s a tough pill to swallow for the Trojans. Watkins is widely considered to be the best player in the sport. She was named both Big Ten Player of the Year and also a First Team All-American. On the year, Watkins is averaging 24.6 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.3 SPG, and 1.8 BPG.

Lindsay Gottlieb’s team will have to now adjust to life without a very high usage player. Stanford transfer Kiki Iriafen will likely be the team’s first option on offense. She was dominant on Monday evening — scoring 36 points on 16-of-22 from the field. She threw in nine rebounds and two blocks for good measure.

USC has a very deep team all things considered. Freshmen Kennedy Smith, Avery Howell, and Kayleigh Heckel will likely be asked to contribute at a higher clip. Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen are veterans with the ability to also positively impact the scoreline.

The Trojans will square off versus a game Kansas State squad in the Sweet 16 on March 29th in Spokane.