USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins will miss the remainder of the NCAA Tournament after suffering a torn ACL in the Trojans’ Second Round game against Mississippi State on Monday night, according to a report from ESPN.
USC confirmed Watkins’ season-ending injury in a statement and said she will undergo surgery to repair the injury.
Watkins was carried off the floor in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern California’s game against in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
Watkins was driving to the basket when she went down between two Bulldogs defenders with 4:43 remaining. She grabbed her right knee with a pained expression on her face.
The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points and is one of the biggest stars in the women’s game. She was carried off the court by multiple people and the game went to a media timeout with the Trojans leading 13-2.
The crowd loudly booed Mississippi State on its next possession.
There has already been an outpouring of support for Watkins on social media from athletes and other personalities, including WNBA star Angel Reese.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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