Sorry, USC basketball fans, but the nightmare is, in fact, real.
JuJu Watkins went down during the Trojans’ second game of the NCAA Tournament against Mississippi State, tearing her ACL. This ends her year and makes next season likely one of recovery for the wunderkin.
While the loss of Watkins is utterly devastating, basketball, for better or worse, never stops.
USC still mustered a 96-59 win over Mississippi State to make it to the Sweet 16. This is the Trojans’ 12th time making it this far in the NCAA Tournament, and they now have a chance to return to the Elite Eight. To do that, they’ll have to find a way to beat Kansas State without Watkins. Here’s how they can get that done.
Kiki Iriafen’s moment
The main reason USC is still in this tourney is because of Kiki Iriafen. She was amazing against the Bulldogs, scoring 36 points. She also tied for a team-high nine rebounds.
While Iriafen has had to play second fiddle to Watkins and adjust her game since transferring from Stanford last year, she can undoubtedly lead a team. With USC, she’s averaging 18.6 points and 8.5 rebounds on the season. Back in 2023-24 with Stanford, she had a slightly better production, averaging 19.4 points and 11 rebounds per game.
When you lose a superstar like Watkins, you get…
