JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor with a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern California’s game against Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
Watkins, one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, was streaking to the basket chased by two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg, the non-contact injury causing her to crumple to the floor. She grabbed her knee and writhed in pain as her teammates surrounded her.
“I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu lying on the floor and crying,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
Later on, a team spokesperson said Watkins will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation.
The crowd in Galen Center went silent as Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to the 19-year-old Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points. She was carried off by multiple people with the Trojans leading 13-2.
The Trojans won 96-59 to reach the Sweet 16.
“My prayers and thoughts are with JuJu,” MSU coach Sam Purcell said. “Obviously, we’re competitors and you never want to see that, especially what she means for women’s basketball.”
