Juju Watkins' Replacement Too Much For Kansas State In Sweet 16

Mar 29, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; Kansas State Wildcats guard Serena Sundell (4) shoots against USC Trojans center Rayah Marshall (13) during the first half of a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

The most-mentioned name before the Kansas State and USC women's basketball teams faced off in the Sweet 16 Saturday was JuJu Watkins.

Turns out, her backup was the story of the night.

Trojans guard Avery Howell finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in a 67-61 victory. She was in the starting lineup as the replacement for Watkins, who is out for the season after sustaining a knee injury in the previous round against Mississippi State.

"I'm so proud of our team," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "That was not easy. That was a tough Kansas State team."

Watkins is widely considered among the faces of women's basketball, joining Paige Bueckers as the most recognizable. When Watkins tore her ACL, the story quickly became if the Wildcats could take advantage.

Howell had other plans.

She made 6 of 11 from the field, including four 3-pointers. She also had four steals and an assist, doing her part to make up for the multi-talented Watkins.

The Wildcats were led by Serena Sundell's 22 points but it wasn't enough. Akoya Lee, still recovering from a midseason foot injury, finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds on 6 of 13 shooting. K-State ended the year with a record of 28-8. It was the Wildcats' first Sweet 16 appearance since 2002.

Even in defeat, the season was still considered a success because of the adversity with the Lee injury. She missed most of the second half of the season.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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