WNBA legend reveals 1-word reaction to JuJu Watkins’ devastating knee injury
The college basketball world was in shock when USC Trojans women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury during the team’s March Madness game against Mississippi State earlier this week.
Sue Bird, a WNBA and college basketball legend in her own right, was also astonished.
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USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins, #12, grabs her knee after falling to the floor during the first quarter of an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images)
“My initial thought was like, f—,” she said on the “A Touch More” podcast with Megan Rapinoe. “F— for women’s basketball, f— for the tournament and then f— for JuJu. Because now, you know, this marks a long rehab, this marks a test mentally and physically.
“But it is not the end of anything. It’s just the end of this particular run and JuJu will be fine. She’ll be back on the court. Yes, it’s a difficult rehab. But I know when I tore my ACL, it changed my life, it changed my career, it changed the trajectory for sure.”
ANGEL REESE, CAITLIN CLARK SEND PRAYERS TO JUJU WATKINS AFTER USC STAR’S HEARTBREAKING INJURY
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins, #12, during pregame warmups before an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images)
Bird said she understood a torn ACL “feels like a death sentence,” but she maintained it was not. It will sting for now because of the “amazing run” Watkins was on, she said.
ESPN reported that Watkins tore her ACL when she went down on the floor.
Watkins has been one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball since she entered the collegiate ranks last season. She was the nation’s second-leading scorer this season, averaging 24.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
USC Trojans guard Rian Forestier, #4, and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins, #12, during pregame warmups before an NCAA Tournament second-round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center in Los Angeles on March 24, 2025. (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images)
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