What USC Trojans' JuJu Watkins Said After Ankle Injury In NCAA Tournament

The USC Trojans women's basketball took care of business in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, beating UNC Greensboro 71-25. USC superstar JuJu Watkins led all scorers with 22 points despite briefly exiting the game with an ankle injury.

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the second quarter of an NCAA Tournament game against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Galen Center. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The No. 1 seed USC Trojans women's basketball team beat No. 16 UNC Greensboro 71-25 on Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, but Trojans fans were holding their collective breath as superstar JuJu Watkins exited the game and went into the locker room in the second half after suffering an ankle injury.

Watkins quickly returned to the game, and she led all scorers with 22 points en route to the victory. She also dealt with an apparent wrist injury, but that did not cause Watkins to miss any time on the floor. After the win, Watkins was asked about the injuries and how she feels.

"I don't know. I think, you know, it's the end of the season, body's a little banged up, but onto to the next. Nobody really cares, so onto the next," said Watkins.

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) during the second quarter of an NCAA Tournament game against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Galen Center. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

"Oh yeah, I’m all good. Don’t worry," Watkins continued.

Watkins' positive update is a relief for USC as the Trojans will need their superstar guard in order to make a run in March Madness. With a win over UNC Greensboro, the Trojans advance to the Round of 32 where they will face Mississippi State.

Still, Watkins has confidence in her team even if she's not in the game.

"No I wasn't worried at all. You know, I I'm really confident in my team regardless of if I'm in or not," said Watkins. "I know what they can do, so it's just a matter of when I'm in, just impacting the game as much as I can."

Against UNC Greensboro, USC's offense struggled in the first quarter, only leading 12-8 after the first ten minutes. Watkins talked about feeling a little rusty after not playing a game since the loss to UCLA in the Big Ten Tournament Championship on March 9.

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"I don't think it's frustration. I think it's just knowing we could be better, like Kiki (Iriafen) said we had some rust to to get off so hopefully that's all done with and, you know, we can really head into this next match up with our best versions of ourselves," Watkins said.

After Saturday's game, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb was asked about leaving Watkins in the game despite having a large lead.

"I trust her. I listen to her. I trust our trainers and I say, 'You good?' When she says she's good, I'm probably not going to shut her down," said Gottlieb.

Additionally, Gottlieb praised the Galen Center crowd for bringing the energy for the Trojans' first-round matchup. As a No. 1 seed, the Trojans host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at home.

Mar 22, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lindsay Gottlieb during the second quarter of an NCAA Tournament game against the UNC Greensboro Spartans at Galen Center. / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

"I also want to just commend the crowd. I think it's never lost on me how incredible it is, kind of what we've built here and in the time when people said you couldn't do it," Gottlieb said.

With the help of Gottlieb and Watkins, USC has turned into a powerhouse in the world of women's college basketball. In the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Trojans reached the Elite Eight before falling to the UConn Huskies. This year, USC and UConn appear to be set on a collision course if both teams can survive and advance. If so, Trojans and Huskies will meet again in the Elite Eight.

First, however, Mississippi State stands in the way of USC. The Trojans and the Bulldogs will face off on Monday, March 24.

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