JuJu Watkins' Emotional Call To USC Trojans After NCAA Tournament Injury

USC Trojans star guard JuJu Watkins suffered a gruesome season-ending torn ACL in the Trojans’ 96-59 second round win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Watkins is arguably the best player in the country and the Trojans will have to go on without her in the NCAA Tournament.

In their first game without Watkins in the Sweet 16 vs. Kansas State, the Trojans eked out a 67-61 win to advance to the Elite Eight on Monday vs. UConn.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said after the game that JuJu spoke to the team on a FaceTime call before and after the Kansas State game.

Lindsay Gottlieb Trying To Keep JuJu's Spirit With Team

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; The USC Trojans huddle before the tipoff for their game against theMississippi State Bulldogs during an NCAA Tournament second round game at Galen Center. USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) in center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

USC Trojans coach Lindsay Gottlieb said that while JuJu wasn’t able to take the court during Saturday’s game, but she still gave the team a message.

“I was just FaceTiming her after in the locker room,” Gottlieb said. “She just said how proud she was, before the game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are."

This season, Watkins lead the Trojans in scoring and assists with 23.9 points and 3.4 assists per game. She also grabbed the third most boards with 6.8 rebounds per game. Watkins very well might win National Player of the Year and it is a devastating blow that she will be out for at the very least, the end of this season.

“It was hard to hear (JuJu on FaceTime) in the locker room, but there were a lot of smiles,” Gottlieb said. “My daughter was blowing kisses to her and said ‘JuJu’s not hurt?’ And I said ‘No, she’s still hurt, but she’s happy today and with us.”

Gottlieb says that the way the team has fought through this has shown the chemistry that they all have together.

“Just trying to keep her (JuJu Watkins) spirit with us. She’s just such an incredible young person and I think the way the team has responded says a lot about them,” Gottlieb said. “But also a lot about her and the true amount of chemistry that they have with each other.”

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USC To Face UConn In Elite Eight Rematch

Mar 29, 2025; Spokane, WA, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) runs back on defense against the Oklahoma Sooners during the second half of a Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Spokane Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans will try to punch their ticket to the 2025 Women’s Final Four on Monday night when they play the UConn Huskies. These two teams faced off in the Elite Eight last season, with UConn getting the better of USC and advancing to the Final Four. Now USC is shorthanded without Watkins.

USC beat UConn earlier this season on the road. However, that was with Watkins and they will need to find big contributions in other places to make up for her loss.

Will USC be able to pull off the upset over Paige Bueckers and the Huskies? Tip-off is set for Monday at 6 p.m PT on ESPN.