LOS ANGELES – USC star Juju Watkins will miss the rest of the women’s NCAA tournament after suffering from an ACL torn in her right knee during a Trojan second round match against Mississippi, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday night.
A team spokesman said Watkins will begin rehabilitation after undergoing season-end surgery.
Watkins had to be carried off the court as USC’s 96-59 victory was just five minutes and pushed the Trojans into the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season.
As Watkins drove into the basket on a fast break between the two defenders, she was fouled as she planted her legs, buckling her right knee and causing her to collapse on the floor. Watkins immediately grabbed her by the knee and went down for more than a minute.
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The crowd at Gallen Center collectively held their breath as trainers ultimately had to lift Watkins up and take him to the locker room. She had three free throws, one rebound and two assists in a 0-of-2 shooting.
“I would lie if I told him I wasn’t rattling when I saw him crying on the floor,” USC director Lindsay Gottlieb said. “It’s a human game, so I obviously did my best to make it what I need for the team, but internally there’s a lot of it.”
At halftime, the team announced that Watkins had been evaluated by medical staff and would not be returning. In her absence, Kiki Iliafen scored a season-high 36 points with 16/22 shooting to lead the Trojans into the second weekend of the tournament.
After the game, Gottlieb and a few USC players sifted through many emotions. They were crying and seeing the best players, unable to leave the courtroom, their coaches were “shaking” by the incident. Still, the Trojans came together to bring together a dominant performance against the physical team.
“We didn’t want to disappoint her,” Iriafen told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “We just want to keep dancing, so whatever it takes is something I want to do. I think it just shows our toughness.”
After Watkins was injured, the crowd booed the state of Mississippi with every time he had the ball. School cheerleaders were booed during a halftime performance, and the crowd warmed up over the second half, causing them to badge the team again.
“They’re going to stand behind their home team. They’re going to be hard on Juju,” said Mississippi State Guard Jakaira Jordan. He scored 17 points. “I could do nothing but respect them.”
SeasonsPlayerPoints2014-16Kelsey Mitchell, OSU1,7622023-25Juju Watkins, USC1,7092020-22Caitlin Clark, Iowa1,6621991-93Sheryl Swoopes, TTU1,645 **
Gottlieb said:
As USC builds a big lead, the game takes a different tone, with Trojan players being called “chippies.” It all culminated in the post-match handshake line, where players from both teams had to separate.
Gottlieb said there was a story about the West Coast team not facing SEC toughness, and the Trojans wanted to show that they could do just that.
“I know there’s no punctures in the locker room and there’s a team that step up,” Gottlieb said. “This team came together, they got together for (Watkins), they got together for each other.”
Associated Press national selection and National Player of the Year contender Watkins averaged 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season, driving the Trojan 30-3 campaign, where the team was the fourth seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
USC reached the Elite Eight in Watkins’ first season a year ago, losing to the Page Bookers and Turmeric. The team was able to meet again this year in the regional final in Spokane, Washington, but this time USC will have to try and beat the Husky without Watkins.
“As an athlete, I think you’re good at compartmentalizing,” said guard Talia von Oelhoffen. “Obviously Ju is a lot for the team, but we have a lot of talent. We have a lot of depth and I don’t think it will shake up by losing one player no matter who it is.”
At the end of her press conference on Monday night, Gottlieb tried to summarise Watkins’ influence on the program, only in her sophomore season, which was based on success a year ago.
“I’m clearly heartbroken if Juju is seriously injured, but at the same time, I hope that she can understand that being here is far beyond her talent and abilities,” Gottlieb said. “That’s really about being a generational thing about it, the way she made everyone burn.”
Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.
