No. 1 seed USC cruised to a 71-25 win over No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro in the first round of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday afternoon. The mood inside the Galen Center was not all celebratory, however, due to concern over star guard JuJu Watkins’ health status.
Watkins suffered multiple minor injuries, including an apparent left hand issue and a rolled left ankle. The Trojans and their fans were able to breath a sigh of relief afterward, however, as Watkins declared she was “all good” for the team’s second-round game on Monday against either No. 8 California or No. 9 Mississippi State.
“I don’t know,” Watkins said during her postgame press conference when asked what happened with her hand and ankle. “It’s the end of the season, body’s a little banged up, but on to the next. Nobody really cares, so on to the next. I’m all good.”
Watkins appeared to jam her left hand and/or fingers in the first quarter and spent much of the first half grabbing at the hand and trying to shake it out. She remained in the game, however, and ended the first half with 11 points, which matched UNC Greensboro’s total as a team.
Women’s March Madness 2025:…
