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ESPN’s Elle Duncan Succinctly Sums Up What We’re All Thinking After JuJu Watkins Injury

Ryan Phillips

USC's JuJu Watkins is attended to after suffering a leg injury during the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament.
USC's JuJu Watkins is attended to after suffering a leg injury during the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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JuJu Watkins suffered a serious leg injury Monday night during the second round of the NCAA tournament and at last report, was leaving the arena so she could get an MRI. ESPN's Elle Duncan summed up just how fans felt.

Watkins was injured early in the first quarter as the No. 1 seeded Trojans played No. 9 seed Mississippi State. She was dribbling down the floor on a fast break when she took a bump and went down in a heap, grabbing her right leg. She was later carried off the floor and couldn't put any weight on her leg.

Duncan was hosting ESPN's studio halftime show and as the game went to the break with USC leading 50-27, she addressed the moment.

"We're just gonna address the elephant in the room, this totally sucks," Duncan said. "I don't think it's hyperbolic to say this not only changed the tenor of this game but potentially the tournament."

She's right. Watkins is a two-time unanimous All-American and was the Big Ten Player of the Year this season. The sophomore is nothing short of a superstar. If the injury is bad, it completely changes the tournament.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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