USC star JuJu Watkins suffers season-ending injury in game against Mississippi State

University of Southern California basketball star JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending leg injury during the Trojans' NCAA Tournament victory Monday, the team announced.

University of Southern California basketball star JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending leg injury during the Trojans' NCAA Tournament victory Monday, the team announced.

“She will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation shortly thereafter,” the team announced on X, without specifying the nature of the injury.

The injury is an enormous blow to the championship hopes of USC, which won the regular-season Big Ten championship and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament thanks in large part to Watkins.

A sophomore sensation, Watkins averaged 24.6 points per game during the regular season to rank second in the country. USC has not advanced to a Final Four since 1986.

The injury took place with 4:43 to play in Monday’s first quarter against Mississippi State in the tournament’s round of 32.