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USC-Mississippi State Had Heated Moment in Handshake Line After JuJu Watkins's Injury

Andy Nesbitt

USC's Rayah Marshall had to be held back by an assistant coach after USC's win over Mississippi State.
USC's Rayah Marshall had to be held back by an assistant coach after USC's win over Mississippi State. / @BenGolliver
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The No. 1-seed USC women's basketball team rolled over Mississippi State, 96-59, in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Monday night but the victory was overshadowed by the devastating injury suffered by Trojans star guard JuJu Watkins, who tore her ACL while driving to the basket in the first quarter.

Watkins's season is now over and USC's national title hopes have taken a big hit as they head to the Sweet 16 where they will face Kansas State on Saturday.

Emotions were understandably riding high during USC's win and then in the postgame handshake line things got heated as USC senior forward Rayah Marshall had to be held back by an assistant coach after having words with a Mississippi State player.

Just a tough night for USC's women's team and the entire tournament, as Watkins is a special talent who will be missed the rest of the way.

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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