Women's Fastbreak On SI

JuJu Watkins Breaks Silence With Heartfelt Message After USC Loss to UConn

Injured USC Trojans superstar JuJu Watkins sent a powerful message after her team lost to UConn in the NCAA Tournament.
Grant Young|
Feb 2, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Feb 2, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) looks on during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans women's basketball team came up short against the UConn Huskies during their March 31 showdown in the Elite Eight round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, as UConn secured a 78-62 win to send them to the Final Four and end USC's season.

Of course, it was always going to be an uphill battle for USC to beat UConn after JuJu Watkins, their best player and one of the biggest stars in all of women's basketball, suffered a torn ACL in the Trojans' second-round game on March 24. While her teammates rallied and played great in her absence, it was hard to imagine USC being true national championship contenders without Watkins on the court.

JuJu hasn't been with her team since suffering the injury, instead staying in Los Angeles ahead of her surgery. She also hasn't spoken to the media or been active on social media since the injury occurred.

However, the superstar sophomore took to her Instagram story after USC's defeat to reflect on the season and the support she has received.

"Thank you for all the incredible love and support. Seeing all your messages and kind words has meant the world to me — y'all have given me so much hope.

"Right now, my heart is with my teammates - I wish I could have been out there battling, but I couldn't be prouder of that fight we've fought together.

"Thank you all ✌🏾❤️," Watkins wrote.

It's good to hear from Watkins after what must have been a difficult week for the 19-year-old basketball icon, even if it's coming after her team's NCAA Tournament defeat.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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