Texas Star Shares 'Pain' of Seeing JuJu Watkins Suffer ACL Injury in NCAA Tournament

JuJu Watkins' potential NCAA Tournament opponents are showing support for her amid her ACL tear.

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

The entire women's basketball community is still reeling from what happened to USC Trojans superstar JuJu Watkins in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on March 24.

In the first quarter of USC's game against Mississippi State, Watkins was driving to the basket when her right knee buckled, and she fell to the floor. She immediately began clutching her right knee and wincing in pain, and ultimately had to be carried off the court.

After the game, news broke that Watkins had torn her ACL. This means she'll miss the remainder of the 2025 NCAA Tournament and most likely much of the 2025-26 campaign as she recovers from the injury and ensuing surgery.

Even Watkins' potential opponents in the NCAA Tournament are sympathizing with the superstar, which is shown by what Texas Longhorns standout Rori Harmon had to say when speaking with the media on March 27.

"So I was on the phone watching that game, and I can't watch things like that. I just can't look at it," Harmon said, per an X post from KVUE News reporter Cory Mose. "I haven't really seen the actual video because I can't look at it, but I was so devastated. I'm so hurt that that happened, and I know when I did mine, I didn't really look at my phone too much.

"I definitely will reach out [to JuJu], I just wanted to give it some buffer time. We don't actually have that type of relationship, but obviously she's a great basketball player, and us basketball players here stick around and stick together," she added.

"It put me to pain to see that she has to go through that," Harmon concluded.

When asked by @_dannydavis about her relationship with JuJu Watkins and if she reached out after the injury, Rori Harmon shared she plans on reaching out but wants to give Watkins her space first

"I'm definitely going to reach out to her and let her know I'm listening, I'm all… pic.twitter.com/VTLF3EhnBr

— Cory Mose (@Cory_Mose) March 26, 2025

Hopefully, Watkins can recover quickly and fully enough to where she's back in action for the 2026 NCAA Tournament.