College Basketball World was in shock when USC Trojan’s woman’s basketball star Juju Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury during the team’s march Madness game against Mississippi State earlier this week.
Sue Bird, a Wnba and College -Basketball Legend in his own right, was also amazed.
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USC Trojans Guard Juju Watkins, #12, grabs her knees after falling on the floor during the first quarter of a NCAA tournament second round match against Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro-Preferred Pictures)
“My first thought was like, f —,” she said at the “A Touch More” podcast with Megan Rapinoe. “F — for women’s basketball, f — for the tournament and then f — for Juju. For now, you know, this marks a long rehabilitation, this marks a test mentally and physically.
“But it’s not the end of something. It’s just the end of this particular race and Juju will be fine. She’s coming back on the field. Yes, it’s a difficult rehabilitation. But I know when I tore my ACL, it changed my life, it changed my career, it changed the field with certainty.”
Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark Send Beans to Juju Watkins after USC Star’s heartbreaking damage
USC Trojans Guard Juju Watkins, #12, Under Pregame warming before an NCAA tournament second round match against Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro-Preferred Pictures)
Bird said she understood a torn ACL “feels like a death sentence,” but she maintained that it wasn’t. It will swing for now because of the “fantastic race” Watkins was on, she said.
ESPN reported that Watkins tore her ACL as she went down on the floor.
Watkins has been one of the most productive scorers in college basketball since she entered collegial rows last season. She was the country’s second -leading goal scorer this season, an average of 24.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per day. Match.
USC Trojan’s guard Rian Forestier, #4, and USC Trojans Guard Juju Watkins, #12, during pre-warmings before a NCAA tournament second round match against Mississippi State Bulldogs at the Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro-Preferred Pictures)
USC is back in Sweet 16 for the second straight year.
