JuJu Watkins Carried Off Court During March Madness After Scary Knee Injury

Heartbreaking losses are plentiful in March Madness, but so are pivotal injuries for basketball’s rising stars. Sadly, that occurred on the women’s side of the tourney as the USC Trojans took on Mississippi State to finalize the teams that would make the Sweet 16 in the Spokane Regional 4 round. As USC star JuJu Watkins drove down the court for a fast break early in the first half, two Mississippi State defenders attempted to guard her from both sides. Then, suddenly, the ball flew out of bounds, and the sophomore fell to the court and grabbed her right knee, which later proved to be a torn ACL. She grimaced in pain as her teammates surrounded her, and the stunned crowd immediately fell silent. Watkins could not get up on her own, so USC training staff eventually carried her to the back for a medical evaluation.

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A slowed-down version of the injury appears to show that the defenders made little to no contact with her knee, and her leg seemed to buckle beneath her before going limp. In the early hours of Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Sham Charania confirmed that Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear in her right knee and will soon undergo surgery. Even with their star player out, the Trojans easily beat the Bulldogs 96-59 to earn a spot in the Sweet 16. See how March Madness fans are reacting to the injury below. This story is still developing. 

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