Sources: Torn ACL ends USC star Watkins’ season

LOS ANGELES — USC star JuJu Watkins will miss the remainder of the women’s NCAA tournament after suffering a torn ACL in her right knee during the Trojans’ second-round game against Mississippi State, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania on Monday night.A team spokesperson said Watkins would undergo season-ending surgery and then begin rehabilitation.Watkins had to be carried off the court because of the injury just five minutes into USC’s 96-59 win that propelled the Trojans into the Sweet 16 for a second straight season.As Watkins drove to the basket on a fast break between two defenders, she was fouled and her right knee buckled as she planted her leg, causing her to collapse to the floor. Watkins immediately grabbed her knee and stayed down for over a minute.Editor’s Picks1 RelatedThe crowd at Galen Center collectively held its breath as trainers eventually had to lift up Watkins and take her to the locker room. She was 0-of-2 shooting, with three free throws, one rebound and two assists before exiting.”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.”The team announced at halftime that Watkins was being evaluated by medical staff and would not return. In her absence, Kiki Iriafen scored a season-high 36 points on 16-of-22 shooting to lead the Trojans into the second weekend of the tournament.After the game, Gottlieb and several USC players sifted through a slew of emotions. They had seen their best player in tears, unable to walk off the court, and their coach was “shook up” by the incident. And yet, the Trojans had also rallied to put together a dominant performance against a physical team.”We didn’t want to let her down,” Iriafen told ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “We just want to keep dancing, so whatever it takes is what I wanted to do. I think it just shows our toughness.”After Watkins was hurt, the crowd loudly booed Mississippi State every time it had the ball. The school’s cheerleaders were booed during their halftime performance and the crowd badgered the team again as it warmed up for the second half.”They’re going to stand behind their home team. They’re going to go hard for JuJu,” said Mississippi State guard Jerkaila Jordan, who scored 17 points. “I couldn’t do nothing but respect them.”SeasonsPlayerPoints2014-16Kelsey Mitchell, OSU1,7622023-25JuJu Watkins, USC1,7092020-22Caitlin Clark, IOWA1,6621991-93Sheryl Swoopes, TTU1,645**Started career at non D-I South Plains in 1989-91– ESPN ResearchSaid Gottlieb: “You can’t tell me that the energy of the crowd and how angry they were with the other team and how much they were for our team is so much about what JuJu has given to this arena, to this program, to this city.”As USC built its large lead, the game took on a different tone, with a few moments Trojans players described as “chippy.” It all culminated in a postgame handshake line in which players from both teams had to be separated.Gottlieb said there’s a narrative about West Coast teams not being up to the task of facing SEC toughness, and the Trojans wanted to show they could do just that.”We know that we’ve got no punks in our locker room, that we have a team that’s going to step up,” Gottlieb said. “This team rallied, they rallied for [Watkins], they rallied for each other.”Watkins, an Associated Press All-American selection and a contender for national player of the year, averaged 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season and had been the driving force behind the Trojans’ now 30-3 campaign, one that saw the team earn the fourth No. 1 seed in this year’s NCAA tournament.USC reached the Elite Eight in Watkins’ first season a year ago, losing to Paige Bueckers and UConn. The teams could meet again in a regional final in Spokane, Washington, this year, but this time USC will have to try to beat the Huskies without Watkins.”You can’t tell me that the energy of the crowd and how angry they were with the other team and how much they were for our team is so much about what JuJu has given to this arena, to this program, to this city,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire”I think as an athlete you’re good at compartmentalizing,” guard Talia von Oelhoffen said. “Obviously Ju is a lot for the team, but we have a lot of talent, we have a lot of depth and I don’t think we’re shaken by losing one player no matter who it is.”At the end of her news conference Monday night, Gottlieb tried to sum up Watkins’ influence on the program during what is only her sophomore season, which has built on her success of a year ago.”Obviously just heartbroken if there’s a serious injury for JuJu, but at the same time, I hope she can at some point see just the significance that she has here that goes so far beyond just her talent and abilities,” Gottlieb said. “I mean that’s really what is generational about it, the way she’s galvanized everyone.”Information from The Associated Press was included in this report.