The clock stopped ticking, and USC was up 96-59. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb exhaled, but the relief was hollow—her focus was locked on her star player. Her mind was stuck on a different moment—4:46 in the first quarter. Kiki Iriafen soared for a block, grabbed the rebound, and kicked it ahead to Juju Watkins.
Watkins, a blur in transition, weaved through defenders—Chandler Prater closing in on her left, another shadowing her right. Then came the fall. A gasp rippled through the arena. Watkins clutched her leg, and in an instant, the deafening roar turned into an eerie silence, broken only by her cries.
According to Ben Golliver on X, USC Coach Lindsay Gottlieb, stated after the game “I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu on the court and crying.” The moment Watkins hit the hardwood, clutching her leg, the atmosphere inside the Galen Center shifted. Social media exploded in real-time, with fans desperate for updates.
USC Coach Lindsay Gottlieb on JuJu Watkins injury: “I’d be lying if I told you that I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu on the court and crying.”
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 25, 2025
Sports journalist Fredo Cervantes captured the gravity of the moment on X: “Juju Watkins’ parents have left their seats at center court due to concerns regarding her injury.” The silence in Galen Center spoke louder than any roar—this wasn’t just a USC heartbreak, it was a gut punch to basketball fans everywhere.
Early reports point to an ACL tear. Watkins wasn’t helped off—she was carried, no weight on either leg, a towel shielding the injury as if to block out the worst-case scenario. ESPN’s Holly Rowe confirmed she was wheeled out for further imaging, leaving USC fans holding their breath.
“She’s getting seen by our great medical team. We have a group, and a fan base and a team that’s going to have her back no matter what,” Gottlieb told ESPN after halftime. “JuJu is the toughest kid I know and she’s gonna be good one way or another.”
Watkins had been unstoppable—34 starts, 27.1 points per game, a freshman record-breaking 920 points. Now, the question isn’t what’s next for USC—it’s what’s next for the brightest young star in college basketball.
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