JuJu Watkins Reveals Update on ACL Injury After Winning Wooden Award

USC Trojans star guard JuJu Watkins joined ESPN’s College GameDay during Final Four weekend to talk about her 2024-2025 season and her battle through injury. Watkins suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Trojans’ second round NCAA Tournament win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

JuJu Watkins On Winning Wooden Award, ACL Injury

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) is carried off the court after injuring his knee during the first quarter of an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

JuJu Watkins was having another incredible season, averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while leading USC to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Earlier this week it was announced that Watkins won the Wooden Award for Player of the Year in Women’s College Basketball.

“I think season was a real growth year for me. I was able to learn so much…Just IQ wise,” Watkins said. “Playing with Kiki Iriafen and so many great players around me forced me to level up and be a better player and teammate.”

Watkins also addressed her injury and how she has handled the past few weeks.

“I’m a firm believer in ‘everything happens for a reason,’” Watkins said. “I think my first week, I was just in complete shock. It’s the first time I’ve dealt with this type of adversity. So I’m really just getting prepared for what’s to come and ready to just get to work and get to work in rehab. So I’m back on the floor with my teammates.”

Watkins said seeing her teammates play without her after she went down was very difficult for her.

“Seeing my team and all the teams play, it was tough on me,” Watkins said. “But to just see the love they showed me and letting them know I’m there in spirit. It was a great thing to watch and I’m so proud of them.”

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Would USC With A Healthy Watkins Have Beat UConn?

Mar 31, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; USC Trojans center Rayah Marshall (13) shoots against UConn Huskies forward Aubrey Griffin (44) during the second half of an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Without JuJu Watkins, the USC Trojans advanced to the Elite Eight in lost to the UConn Huskies 78-64. For the second straight year, the Trojans were a game away from reaching their first Final Four since 1986, but the Huskies ended their run both times.

UConn proceeded to blow out UCLA in the Final Four and South Carolina in the National Championship by an average of 23.5 points, winning it all for the first time since 2016. USC was by far the most competitive game UConn faced all tournament. This raises the question, would USC have beat UConn is Watkins was healthy?

Some questions will never be answered and this is one of them. USC and UConn played earlier this season and USC won with Watkins in the lineup. UConn will have a new leader next year after guard Paige Bueckers gets drafted into the WNBA this offseason, so if we are to see Watkins vs. Bueckers again, it will be at the next level and not in college basketball.