USC W Basketball

USC guard JuJu Watkins, the consensus national player of the year, spoke about her injury rehab and being in "complete shock" the first week after suffering a torn ACL in her right knee during the NCAA tournament.

Watkins made her comments on ESPN's College GameDay following a question from Andraya Carter about her "recovery journey" and how she's feeling.

"I'm a firm believer in 'everything happens for a reason,'" Watkins began.

"I think my first week, I was just in complete shock and you know, the first time that I've dealt with this type of adversity, so, you know, I'm really just getting prepared for what's to come and ready to just get to work and get to work in rehab so that I'm back on the floor with my teammates."

Watkins suffered the injury during her team's 96-59 victory over Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

After the news of her ailment was revealed, Watkins released a statement on Instagram to her fans thanking them for their support.

“Thank you all for 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,” Watkins wrote.

“Right now, my heart is with my teammates – I wish I could have been out there battling, but I couldn’t be prouder of the fight we’ve fought together. Thank you all.”

Watkins had a tremendous second season at USC, averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks. For the year, USC went 31-4 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Trojans fought hard without their leader, beating Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet Sixteen. However, they then fell 78-64 in the Elite Eight to a UConn team that's now headed to the national championship.

The national title certainly remains a goal for Watkins, who now has to attack rehab. Hopefully she returns to 100 percent health ASAP and returns to her tremendous form that made her one of the game's best and most electric talents.

USC star JuJu Watkins made sure she didn't totally miss her team's postgame celebration after a 67-61 win over Kansas State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

The sophomore guard used FaceTime to congratulate her teammates:

JuJu checked in on FaceTime 😂✌️ pic.twitter.com/ODJi5YCVvo

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 30, 2025

JuJu Watkins FaceTimed the team just now in the locker room where she was yelling and cheering through the phone and told her team how proud of them she is, Kiki Iriafen just told me. JuJu sent her team a “thoughtful” text pregame, and then hosted a watch party at her apartment.

— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) March 30, 2025

"She hit me and just said how proud she was, before this game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are," head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said, per ESPN's Kevin Pelton. "And then right after, it was hard to hear in the locker room, but there were a lot of smiles, and my daughter was blowing kisses to her and said, 'JuJu's not hurt?'

"And I said, 'No, she's still hurt, but she's happy today and with us.' So, just trying to keep her spirit with us. She's just such an incredible young person, and I think the way the team has responded says a lot about them but also a lot about her and the true amount of chemistry that they have with each other."

Watkins suffered a torn ACL in USC's second-round victory over Mississippi State, which leaves her unavailable as the Trojans try to punch their first Final Four ticket since 1986.

Leading up to Saturday's game, the team showed its support for the two-time All-American by wearing shirts with her face on them.

✌️✌️✌️✌️ pic.twitter.com/sr6dw7uvBK

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 29, 2025

The injury halted what was another prolific season from Watkins. She averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

USC survived it first game without its best player in the lineup, but a stiff challenge awaits Monday night.

The Trojans take on UConn and stars Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong at 9 p.m. ET. They already have a head-to-head win over the Huskies from December, but they won't have the services of Watkins, who scored a game-high 25 points, this time around.

USC women's basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb released a statement Wednesday, two days after superstar JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL in her right knee.

"One thing I know about JuJu is that she is resilient," Gottlieb said. "We are in full support of her and believe that this injury will not shake her drive and dedication to be the best player and person she can be, and to help her teammates shine."

Statement from Coach Gottlieb pic.twitter.com/8Lg9fYF1KU

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 26, 2025

The sophomore suffered the injury during her team's 96-59 win over Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

Watkins is a two-time unanimous first-team All-American who also won USBWA National Player of the Year and Big Ten Player of the Year honors this year. For the season, she averaged 23.9 points on 42.6 percent shooting, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

Obviously, Watkins is a tremendous talent with a bright future ahead. The injury is an unfortunate setback on her career path, but it shouldn't preclude her from achieving her ceiling as someone who could be considered one of the best (if not the best) women's basketball players in the world someday.

At the same time, UConn guard Paige Bueckers is enjoying a fantastic season (19.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.4 RPG) while leading a Huskies team that could very well win the national title. Bueckers has gone through horrible injury ordeals, most notably a torn ACL that cost her the entire 2022-23 season and a tibial plateau fracture and lateral meniscus tear that sidelined her for 19 games in 2021-22.

But she's back, dominating and should be going No. 1 overall to the Dallas Wings in the 2025 WNBA draft.

Watkins could easily be the top pick as well someday. For now, her rehab process begins, while the Trojans look toward the Sweet 16, where they'll play Kansas State on Saturday.

In a clash between two teams vying to keep just one loss on their record, the USC Trojans defeated the UConn Huskies 72-70 on Saturday night at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

No. 4 ranked UConn dropped to 10-2 as the No. 7 Trojans improved to 11-1 as USC's JuJu Watkins led the Trojans with 25 points, six rebounds and five assists, one steal and three blocks while shooting 56 percent from the field. Kiki Iriafen added 16 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to the victory.

JuJu getting right to work 🔥

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/B4wfjjaIN6

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) December 22, 2024

UConn's Paige Bueckers finished the night with 22 points, three rebounds and two assists while shooting 9-of-22 from the field in the loss. Freshman Sarah Strong added 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Fans took to social media to praise USC for their stunning upset over the No. 4 Huskies.

USC beats UConn in its first rematch since the Elite 8 😱

The Trojans have now won their first-ever game against the Huskies ✌️ pic.twitter.com/7X49pbjDZU

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) December 22, 2024

JUJU WATKINS AND PAIGE BUECKERS PUT ON A SHOW 😤

USC takes down UConn 72-70 to move to 11-1 on the season 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/eSvuNlrPvV

— FanDuel (@FanDuel) December 22, 2024

What a game.

USC survives a furious UConn comeback (18 points) to earn its first marquee win of the season. Game was decided in the final seconds, as this matchup deserved

The stars delivered: 25 from JuJu Watkins, 22 from Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) December 22, 2024

Juju Watkins looks like a better WNBA prospect than Paige. Juju rebounds, dives for 50/50 balls and passes better pic.twitter.com/k35DZxnFYI

— Dion Apollo (@DionApollo) December 22, 2024

JuJu Watkins at the half vs No. 4 UConn:

15 PTS
4 RBS
2 AST
1 STL
1 BLK
6-10 FG
3-4 3P

Thoughts? 👀✨ pic.twitter.com/AhnLyOBmD2

— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) December 22, 2024

DAWG JUJU WATKINS IS HER

— Ashley Nicole Moss (@AshNicoleMoss) December 22, 2024

I’m running out of words to describe Juju Watkins

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) December 22, 2024

JuJu Watkins after this game: pic.twitter.com/5nCbDNtP5H

— Alford Corriette (@alfcorriette) December 22, 2024

Juju Watkins is better than Caitlin Clark. Debate over. Thank you.

— louf (@twitteerszzn_) December 22, 2024

Via @ESPNStatsInfo: This is JuJu Watkins' fourth career 25-piece in six games against AP top-5 teams.

No other player has more than two such games over the last two seasons.

— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) December 22, 2024

USC entered halftime with a commanding 42-29 lead, capped off by a two-point jumper from Iriafen to close out the second quarter.

First basket back for Kennedy Smith!

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/NPBD3D7s0O

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) December 22, 2024

Out of halftime, Watkins sank a two-pointer to extend USC's lead to 15 points, followed by a three-point assist to Kennedy Smith, pushing the advantage to 18 points. Bueckers responded with a two-point shot to put UConn on the board in the second half, trying to halt the bleeding.

Paige Bueckers gets to 20 points

UConn cuts the lead to ONE pic.twitter.com/Gblqi67l6T

— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) December 22, 2024

The two teams battled down to the wire as UConn tied the game at 67-67 late in the fourth quarter, thanks to a layup from Bueckers. However, the comeback fell short as USC outscored the Huskies 21-17 in the final period, capped off by with two free throws from Watkins.

Turnovers and missed three-point attempts ultimately sealed UConn's fate, as they committed 18 turnovers compared to USC's 13 and shot just 26 percent from beyond the arc.

USC TAKES DOWN NO. 4 UCONN IN THE FINAL SECONDS! pic.twitter.com/iqHvf75R2I

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 22, 2024

USC will aim to extend their seven-game winning streak when they host the No. 20 Michigan Wolverines on Sunday.

Expect to see USC star JuJu Watkins spending a lot more time with Jake from State Farm.

The sophomore guard signed an NIL deal with State Farm, becoming just the second college athlete to get an endorsement deal from the company. Caitlin Clark was the first when she signed while playing at Iowa.

A basketball star AND a good neighbor? Welcome to the neighborhood @Jujubballin 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/lKd0ZCNvZe

— State Farm (@StateFarm) November 25, 2024

The Kansas City Chiefs' Patriots Mahomes and Travis Kelce and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul are among the notable pro athletes aligned with the insurance giant.

"It's an honor to partner with State Farm," Watkins said, per CNBC's Jessica Golden. "Not only are they one of the biggest brands in sports, they've also been investing in basketball and in the women's game for decades."

One of the top recruits in the 2024 class, Watkins made a massive impact as a freshman at USC. She was the nation's second-leading scorer (27.1 points) behind Clark, setting a program record with a 51-point outing in an upset of Stanford.

With the 6'2" playmaker at the fore, the Trojans advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994.

USC is off to a 4-1 start in 2024-25 with Watkins leading the team in points (22.0), assists (4.8), steals (3.4) and blocks (2.6) so far.

USC star JuJu Watkins added another big endorsement to her growing portfolio.

Gatorade announced Thursday it signed an NIL deal with the sophomore guard. She's the third women's basketball player to strike an agreement with the company, following UConn guard Paige Bueckers and former Iowa guard Caitlin Clark.

"Gatorade has been a part of my life for years, especially after being named the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year in 2023, so I'm excited to officially be a member of the family." Watkins said. "Gatorade partners with the best athletes in the world, so joining this roster is a huge milestone for me as I look towards the future."

This comes days after ESPN's Shams Charania reported Watkins signed an extension with Nike that was "one of the richest shoe endorsement deals in women's basketball."

The 19-year-old arrived at USC to great fanfare. The Los Angeles native was the No. 1 recruit in the country and accepted the challenge of returning the Trojans to prominence. Once dominant in the 1980s, the program steadily fell into mediocrity.

It took one year for Watkins to make her presence felt. In 2023-24, she was the second-leading scorer (27.1 points) in Division I behind Clark and set a school record when she dropped 51 points in an upset of fourth-ranked Stanford.

USC also advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, its first trip there since 1994.

Now, fans are eager to see what Watkins and the Trojans have for an encore. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb signed a trio of top-16 recruits, Kennedy Smith, Kayleigh Heckel and Avery Howell, along with Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen and Oregon State guard Talia von Oelhoffen out of the transfer portal.

Watkins had the highest usage rate (42.8 percent) in the country as a true freshman, per Her Hoop Stats. With a stronger supporting cast around her now, she shouldn't have to shoulder the same kind of burden.

If that results in a slight dip in her production, it will do little to limit her star power should USC chart a course to the Final Four.

USC guard JuJu Watkins is already one of the biggest stars in women's basketball as she enters her sophomore season, and she reportedly added another piece to her impressive resume on Tuesday.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the 19-year-old agreed to a multiyear contract extension with Nike that will give her one of the richest shoe deals in women's basketball history.

Charania reported that negotiations for Watkins' deal with Nike were led by Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul and Watkins' team, including agent Jade-Li English, head of marketing Eric Eways and vice president of basketball marketing Brittany McCallum, with Nike officials closing discussions on the deal on Tuesday.

She originally signed with Nike in October 2022 as a high school senior. The decision proved fruitful, as she put forth a star-making season in her freshman year with the Trojans.

Watkins led USC to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament, the farthest the program has reached in 30 years. She scored a total of 920 points last season, setting a new record for the most points scored by a freshman in NCAA Division I women's basketball history. San Diego State's Tina Hutchinson had held the record since scoring 898 points in the 1983-84 season.

For her efforts, Watkins was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and won Best Breakthrough Athlete at the 2024 ESPYs. She was voted as the Associated Press' Preseason Player of the Year entering the 2024-25 campaign.

Watkins' new deal with Nike will only further add to her star power as she continues her development into a future face of the WNBA.

Five-star guard Jazzy Davidson committed to USC on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Davidson is the No. 3 overall recruit in 247Sports' composite rankings for the 2025 class and gives the Trojans their first commit for the cycle.

USC was once the preeminent power in women's basketball, winning national titles in 1983 and 1984 and watching multiple future legends walk through the door, but the program steadily slid into mediocrity.

Thanks to the efforts of dynamic guard JuJu Watkins, fans are now hopeful the "Women of Troy" can return to their heyday. In 2023-24, Watkins was the second-leading scorer (27.1 points) behind Caitlin Clark as a true freshman and helped guide the Trojans to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1994.

Her success has undoubtedly boosted head coach Lindsay Gottlieb's efforts on the recruiting trail. Gottlieb signed three of the top 16 players from espnW's 2024 rankings: wing Kennedy Smith, guard Kayleigh Heckel and guard Avery Howell.

USC also strengthened significantly through the transfer portal, adding former Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen and former Oregon State guard Talia von Oelhoffen.

Thanks to the WNBA's age minimum, women's basketball teams by and large benefit from more continuity than men's teams. Only in rare instances are players eligible for the WNBA draft after three seasons instead of four.

That makes it easier to project how the Trojans roster will look in 2025 when Davidson arrives in Southern California. Watkins will still only be a junior by that point, and one or both of Heckel and Howell may have assumed important roles in the backcourt.

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has built a powerhouse in Columbia. Gottlieb and USC might be closing the gap because the team is shaping up to be a Final Four contender for the next few years.

Two of the biggest stars in women's college basketball will face off again in the 2024-25 season.

USC women's basketball announced Monday it will play a home-and-home series with UConn, meaning fans will get to see Huskies star Paige Bueckers and and Trojans star JuJu Watkins clash.

OFFICIAL: We will kick off a home-and-home with UConn in Connecticut on Dec. 21, 2024! 🍿

The game will be broadcast on FOX 📺 pic.twitter.com/tunA70Uh77

— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) May 13, 2024

The first game of the series will take place on December 21, 2024, at UConn with the second game coming during the 2025-26 season in Los Angeles.

Fans got to see Bueckers and Watkins go head-to-head in April in the Elite 8 when the Huskies came out on top 80-73 to advance to the Final 4. The first game between the two didn't disappoint as Bueckers notched 28 points and 10 rebounds and Wakins picked up 29 points and 10 rebounds.

Last season, Bueckers averaged 21.9 points per game, leading UConn to a 33-6 record with a Final Four appearance. The Huskies couldn't get past Catilin Clark and Iowa and fell just short of reaching the national championship game.

Watkins, arguably the most electric freshman in college basketball a year ago, put up 27.1 points per game in her first season with the Trojans and is looking to continue her prolific scoring as a sophomore.

While the first game of the home-and-home series won't have as high of stakes as their April meeting, it will be a good litmus test before conference play starts.