You can only feel empathy for JuJu Watkins. An ACL injury is a nightmare for athletes of all sports. It can be extremely difficult to come back from, both mentally and physically, and the recovery process can be just as painful as experiencing the injury itself. Watkins will need a painstaking amount of effort and resolve to get through.
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Although not eligible for the WNBA Draft until 2027 at the earliest, this type of injury could devastate the USC star’s future opportunities. As doctors have stated, it can take years for the injury to properly heal before she is back to her best.
Watkins’ coach, Lindsay Gottlieb, may be the best person to comfort her. The guardian of the team also has her own heartbreaking experience with an ACL injury. She suffered her one when playing high school ball and missed her senior year. She did go on to play in college, but that injury started her thinking about coaching.
Gottlieb has advised Juju to write down her feelings in a journal. Per Alexa Philippou’s tweet, she said “[I] gave her a journal to say when you feel it, let yourself feel all the feelings that you’re feeling because if you do that, then at some point you’re able to move on from them and go further in your life.”
“…And we all know I would never wish this upon anyone, I would never want her to go through it and yet, at the same time, you know she’s going to come out stronger than she ever was.”
— Alexa Philippou (@alexaphilippou) March 28, 2025
Unfortunately, medical findings have revealed females are two to ten times more likely than males to experience the injury, with a combination of anatomical, biomechanical, and hormonal factors at play. But, it has also been claimed that female athletes are understudied compared to men, which can skew data.
Still, we’ve seen some of the biggest names in women’s sports suffer from ACL injuries, with varying results. It appears more common in soccer and basketball. Cheryl Miller’s career was forced to end because of an ACL tear. It was a deja vu moment for her to witness what happened to Watkins.
Cameron Brinks is currently experiencing her own rehab, while Paige Bueckers also suffered one in college. The latter managed to return to the best of her game after a tough period and is expected to be among the first picks in this year’s WNBA Draft.
Bird & Rapinoe send message of support; claim Watkins will be fine
Speaking on their A Touch More podcast, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe sympathized with Watkins. They were “bummed” for her. But Rapinoe quickly adjusted her tone to be more positive.
“While it’s, like, utterly devastating and still feels like that, she’s going to be totally fine. I’ve had three ACLs, you’ve had an ACL, so many players have had ACLs, so I feel like she’s going to be totally fine. She’ll come back. This will be a blip on her radar on the grand scheme, but I’m just like ‘uh, I’m bummed for her!’”
Bird also shared her thoughts, throwing Rapinoe under the bus about not watching the game live in the process. She said she felt they both were good at “diagnosing on the spot.” She added, “As athletes, we’re the next best thing as a doctor.”
Bird noted how Watkins’ reaction gave her an idea of the severity of the injury. It was immediately an “uh-oh” moment for the WNBA legend. But, while her initial reaction was negative, she also believes JuJu will be able to move forward after a difficult rehab.
Both admitted it will change Watkins’ career and that JuJu will probably feel like it is a “death sentence,” but ultimately, they both see it as potentially the beginning of something new, rather than the end of something great.
All we can hope is that Bird and Rapinoe are right, and Watkins returns healthy and strong. To be fair, even if she comes back a shade of the level she was, she’ll still be a star because of the quality of skill she possesses on the court!
With so many before her having returned and medical procedures and rehabilitation processes more advanced than ever, it’d be a shock if Watkins weren’t “fine” in all truth.
