Women's Fastbreak On SI

JuJu Watkins Carried Off Court After Injury in USC NCAA Tournament Game

USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins was carried off the court after seeming to suffer a knee injury.

Grant Young

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. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

USC Trojans sophomore superstar JuJu Watkins was dealing with two injuries during her team's March 22 NCAA Tournament game against UNC Greensboro.

Watkins seemed to be dealing with a hand issue, as she could be seen clutching her left hand at various points in the game but never had to leave the court because of it. But the more concerning injury came in the third quarter when Watkins rolled her ankle while driving to the basket. While Watkins stayed on the court and hit a three-pointer in the same possession as the injury, she did end up hobbling into the locker room soon afterward.

But Watkins made it clear that she was fine after the game by saying, "You know, the end of the season knick-knacks. So small things, maintenance things, but you know, regardless, nobody cares. So I'll just continue to do what I do."

However, Watkins seemed to have suffered a potentially more serious injury during her team's March 24 second-round NCAA Tournament game against Mississippi State.

Just a few minutes into the contest, Watkins was driving to the basket and suddenly fell to the ground awkwardly. She immediately clutched her right knee and was grimacing in pain.

The National Player of the Year favorite was eventually carried off of the court by members of USC's staff.

Given that this injury just happened minutes ago, there's currently no update on its severity. But what's for sure is that the entire women's basketball community is holding their collective breath right now regarding one of the game's biggest stars.

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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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