‘Absolutely aghast.’ One of March Madness' biggest stars gets devastating injury news – MassLive.com

Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) reacts on the floor after an injury during the first half against Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)AP
One of the biggest stars in college basketball — men’s or women’s — is done for the season two games into the March Madness tournament.
USC sophomore guard JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL in the first quarter Monday night’s win over Mississippi State and will undergo surgery, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The injury occurred while Watkins was driving to the basket on a fast break, with her knee buckling as she made contact with a defender.
The USC star was in obvious pain and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair.
“The building was just absolutely aghast,” ESPN’s Holly Rowe said “A lot of negative feelings. Some tempers really flared in the handshake line. People were upset about the injury and the fans getting into it, really booing and yelling. It kind of got ugly at the end here.”
Watkins is one of women’s basketball’s most prominent rising stars. A First-Team All-American and candidate for Player of the Year, Watkins was one of the faces of the tournament.
Through 34 games this season, Watkins averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
“I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu on the floor crying,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “This is a human game and so I obviously tried my best to be what I need to be for the team, but internally it’s a lot.”
While Watkins' injury will likely have a major impact on the Trojans' tournament run, USC still managed to run away with the 96-59 win to advance to the Sweet 16.
But moving forward, the loss of Watkins is expected to have major ramifications for the No. 1-seeded-Trojans.
“We’re just gonna address the elephant in the room, this totally sucks … I don’t think it’s hyperbolic to say this not only changed the tenor of this game but potentially the tournament,” ESPN’s Elle Duncan said during the broadcast.
With the victory, USC advances to take on No. 5 Kansas State on March 31 at 9 p.m. EDT.
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