Last Monday, USC women’s basketball suffered a blow after star player Juju Watkins suffered a serious knee injury.
The injury happened in the first quarter of the Trojans’ game against Mississippi State. Watkins tore her anterior cruciate ligament, at the center of the knee joint, and will be absent for the rest of the season. This means USC’s odds for taking home the title have dropped significantly, and fans are worried about the team’s chances overall.
That’s not to say USC is tapped out. In spite of Watkins being pulled from the game, USC went on to defeat Mississippi State 67 to 61, reassuring fans that hope is not lost. Freshman guards Avery Howell, Kayleigh Heckel, and Kennedy Smith have proven that the team is not short of talented players. Howell earned the team 19 points and Smith 18 points, while Heckel made two free-throws. Senior forward Kiki Iriafen also showed off her skills as a seasoned player, earning USC 36 points.
Since Watkins’ injury, University of Connecticut’s star player Paige Bueckers has allegedly reached out in support. Bueckers similarly suffered a torn ACL in August 2022. The UConn guard extended her sympathy toward Watkins during a recent press interview.
“We empathize for her. We’ve been there and we know how much it sucks but you don’t get to be as good as Juju if you don’t have a great motor, a great work ethic,” Bueckers said. “And she’s gonna attack this process just as she has attacked basketball. And she’s gonna be great at this recovery process.”
UConn and USC will face off tonight in Spokane, Washington. The UConn Huskies are favored by 14 and a half points. Though both teams have only suffered 3 losses this season, UConn has 34 wins compared to USC’s 31.
But in spite of Watkins’ setback, the women’s basketball team continues to “fight on,” as the USC song goes. Tonight’s game against the Huskies will determine whether the Trojans reach the coveted Final Four playoff bracket.