The world of women’s basketball was hit hard by the ACL tear of superstar JuJu Watkins on Monday. The USC shooting guard and Player of the Year candidate went down in the first quarter of the Trojans’ second-round game against Mississippi State, a game in which they still went on to win easily to advance to the Sweet 16. They’ll have a much more difficult time navigating the rest of the bracket without her though, especially with Paige Bueckers and UConn looming in a potential regional final rematch after the Huskies won last year to go to the Final Four.
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Watkins’ injury comes at an awful time, as the long recovery from ACL tears not only rules her out for this season’s postseason run, but will likely keep her out for most if not all of next season, as well. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that she isn’t eligible for the WNBA Draft until 2027, but this is still a cruel twist of fate for one of the most exciting players in the women’s game.
Watkins is averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game this year, and she led her team to a 28-3 regular season record and a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Along with Bueckers, she’s the heir apparent to Caitlin Clark as the biggest star in the women’s collegiate game, which makes it a real shame that the two won’t get to face each other this weekend.
WNBA star Chelsea Gray spoke about Watkins’ injury on the Run It Back podcast this morning, and she stressed that the most important thing for Watkins is to not rush back like she once did.
“Take it one day at a time. It’s not a race, don’t try to come back too soon. The game will be there for you to come back to,” Gray said. “People know who you are, people respect you when you come back, but it’s going to be even better if you come back healthy.”
JuJu Watkins has many inspirations to draw from as she begins her comeback
Gray knows of which she speaks, as she overcame a fractured knee cap and a host of other injuries to have a legendary WNBA career. Bueckers, Watkins’ chief rival, also overcame an ACL tear of her own, eventually coming back better than ever to restore the Huskies to their rightful place as one of the top title favorites.
Los Angeles Sparks star rookie Cameron Brink had her rookie season cut short by an ACL tear in just her 15th game, and she spoke about the injury and the recovery process on the latest episode of her podcast Straight to Cam. Brink said that it’s been difficult to feel like an athlete again as she ramps up her rehab, but that the eight months since she got injured “have flown by.”
Seeing how Gray, Bueckers, and Brink have dealt with their own devastating injuries should provide hope for Watkins that this isn’t something that will derail her career, it’s only something that will put it on a temporary hold. Basketball fans everywhere will be very happy when she makes it back.
