Basketball <\/p>\n
The atmosphere inside the Galen Center turned eerily silent Monday (March 24) night as USC Trojan\u2019s brightest star, JuJu Watkins, went down with a frightening ACL injury in the first quarter of the Trojans\u2019 second-round NCAA Tournament clash against Mississippi State Bulldogs .<\/p>\n
The sophomore sensation, who had already been battling injuries, collapsed to the floor on a drive to the basket and had to be carried off after failing to put weight on her right leg. With USC eyeing a deep March Madness run, Watkins\u2019 season ending injury has casts a shadow over their hopes.<\/p>\n
As Watkins lay on the court, clutching her leg in agony, concern spread like wildfire across the basketball world. USC later announced she was undergoing further evaluation and would not return for the remainder of the game, leaving fans and analysts fearing the worst\u2014potentially a torn ACL, a nightmare scenario for one of college basketball\u2019s brightest young stars. Later, USC confirmed that the young star has indeed suffered from the season ending ACL injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fellow basketball stars, from WNBA legends to rising NCAA talents, took to social media to show support.<\/p>\n Angel Reese, the WNBA rising star was among the first to react, tweeting:<\/p>\n \u201cPrayers for Juju! ????????????\u201d<\/p>\n Prayers for Juju! ????????????<\/p>\n \u2014 Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) March 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Aliyah Boston, another dominant force in women\u2019s basketball, kept her message simple:<\/p>\n \u201cPrayers up????????????????\u201d<\/p>\n Prayers up????????????????<\/p>\n \u2014 Aliyah A. Boston (@aa_boston) March 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Six-time WNBA All-Star Breanna Stewart echoed those sentiments with:<\/p>\n \u201c????????????????????????\u201d<\/p>\n ????????????????????????<\/p>\n \u2014 Stewie (@breannastewart) March 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Veteran WNBA guard Sydney Colson didn\u2019t hold back her emotions, immediately writing:<\/p>\n \u201cSayin a prayer for her NOW\u201d<\/p>\n Sayin a prayer for her NOW<\/p>\n \u2014 Sydney Colson (@SydJColson) March 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n LSU star Flau\u2019jae Johnson, who has shared the spotlight with Watkins in college hoops, expressed her distress:<\/p>\n \u201cI pray JuJu okay ???? hate to see it\u201d<\/p>\n I pray juju okay ???? hate to see it<\/p>\n \u2014 Flaujae 4\ufe0f\u20e3 (@Flaujae) March 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n WNBA analyst Ros Gold-Onwude also sent her support:<\/p>\n \u201cPraying for good news and good health for JuJu Watkins????????\u201d<\/p>\n Praying for good news and good health for JuJu Watkins????????<\/p>\n \u2014 Ros Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) March 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Chiney Ogwumike, a former No. 1 WNBA draft pick and ESPN analyst, put into words what many were feeling:<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the brightest stars the game has ever seen\u2026 in a city known for making them. Sending JuJu love ????????????\u201d<\/p>\n one of the brightest stars the game has ever seen\u2026 in a city known for making them. <\/p>\n sending Juju love ????????????<\/p>\n\n
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