JuJu Watkins and Angel Reese (Photos via USA Today)

USC fans went from celebrating a big win to holding their breath in a matter of seconds. One moment, JuJu Watkins was dominating the court, and the next, she was being carried off as the entire arena fell silent. It was the kind of injury that made even the toughest basketball fans cringe and immediately start Googling, “How long does it take to recover from a knee injury?”

College basketball suffered a major blow Monday night as USC star JuJu Watkins was carried off the court with a season-ending knee injury during a win over Mississippi State.

The moment was heartbreaking—her injury didn’t look good, and it certainly didn’t feel good. Even before the official announcement, many feared the worst.

Watkins’ injury sent shockwaves through the sports world, with fans and athletes alike expressing their support. Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was among the first to send her well wishes, tweeting, “Prayers for Juju!” along with a sad face and prayer hands emojis.

College basketball lost one of its biggest talents for the season Monday night after USC star JuJu Watkins was carried off the court after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in a win over Mississippi State.

Her injury did not look good, and it did not feel good. In the back of everyone’s mind, they knew what the injury was before it was announced.

Watkins’ injury sent shockwaves through the entire sporting world.

After seeing Watkins get carried off the court, several athletes, including Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, were quick to send Watkins their prayers.

“Prayers for Juju!” she said while adding a sad face and prayer hands emojis.

There was just one season of overlap between Reese and Watkins in the college game.

Reese was wrapping up her final season with the LSU Tigers, while Watkins was just getting started with the Trojans.

They never got the chance to face each other in college, but it will most certainly happen on a professional level.

USC Superstar JuJu Watkins Tears ACL

JuJu Watkins (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images)
JuJu Watkins and the No. 1 seed USC Trojans were looking for a championship season in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. However, it seems USC may have hit a pretty big snag in their March Madness run.

Watkins and USC hosted No. 9 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs in the round of 32.

After taking a 13-2 lead, Watkins was taking the ball up the court on a fast break midway through the first quarter when she collided with Bulldogs’ senior guard Chandler Prater.

One of college basketball’s top players went down in pain as she grabbed her knee on the ground before being helped back to the USC locker room.

The Trojans announced Watkins would not return to the game.

Hours later, it was announced that Watkins had indeed torn her ACL, and her season was finished.