A season that seemed to belong to the USC Trojans fell out of reach as March Madness rolled in. “There’s just a sense of urgency to go further than where we went last year,” Juju Watkins had said as the season began. But here they were, with a seed lower than expected, their star player sidelined, and eventually meeting the same fate as last year. A stinging end. But could that have meant the beginning of more bad news for the Trojan Nation?

Though USC looked like a complete team without Juju following their win over Kansas State, a defeat against UConn failed to say the same. The sophomore guard had been the Trojan’s engine, averaging nearly 24 points and 7 rebounds per game. The title had seemed well within reach, having steamrolled through the season with 2 losses until the Big Ten championship game. But it had all come crashing down in a blink as Juju went down with an ACL tear in the game against Mississippi State. Now, what’s the next for Juju?

No matter how quickly Watkins recovers, it will not take anything less than a year to fully gain her strength and get back on the court. So, this injury will not only keep her away from games but can also force Watkins to go redshirt. Veteran WNBA and former Uconn star Rebecca Lobo said the same. “One of the things that’s interesting to me as a person who covers the WNBA, JuJu Watkins is a player who is eligible for the 2027 draft,” Lobo said. “Assuming she redshirts next season, which I think is a fair assumption, she would still be able to enter that 2027 draft but could also return to USC for a fourth year of eligibility and wait for the 2028 draft. “

As if this was not enough, another shock bomb hit the USC nation on April 1. Rumors swirled that JuJu could be headed to the portal! The Barstool USC Instagram page dropped a bombshell, claiming JuJu is on her way out. “JuJu Watkins has announced she will be transferring schools following a season-ending injury that has reshaped her path forward,” the statement read.

But wait…

April Fools, USC fans! The news was just a prank! You can breathe easy–JuJu’s not going anywhere! In fact, the 19-year-old even joined in on the fun, dropping a GIF of a surprised dog in the comments. It was all fun and games, and the star guard is here to stay!

Just after the win against Kansas St., Watkins had Facetimed Lindsey Gottlieb in the locker room. “She just said how proud she was, before the game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are,” the head coach revealed. “My daughter was blowing kisses to her and said ‘JuJu’s not hurt?’ And I said ‘No, she’s still hurt, but she’s happy today and with us.”

Top Comment by Edwin Johns

I’m a true Trojan i believe that or Trojans will be back stronger than ever & bring home the prize

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Juju spent 1000 hours deciding on what program she wanted to commit to before making it official with USC. And she didn’t just walk in. The hooper came in with a goal—”bring that winning legacy back and that excitement around USC women’s basketball and LA basketball in general.” Well, she’s halfway there.

The arenas that saw little to no crowd were now sold out weeks prior. The viewership numbers were skyrocketing; like the one against UConn that drew 2.2 million on average and peaked at 3.7 million. Even better? The Trojans made it past the second round for the time since 1994 only last year. Juju has unfinished business and she doesn’t seem to be moving until she’s taken care of it.

2025 may have ended with a heartbreak, but the sophomore phenom is grateful for whatever has come her way.

JuJu Watkins finally breaks silence after heartbreaking injury

Last Monday was one of the worst nights ever for Trojans fans. Just five minutes into their round of 32 game against Mississippi State, JuJu Watkins tore her ACL. Days in, she took to Instagram, expressing appreciation for her teammates who fought valiantly until the very end!

The star guard wrote, “Thank you all for the incredible love and support. Seeing all your messages and kind words has meant the world to me — y’all have given me so much hope. Right now, my heart is with my teammates – I wish I could have been out there battling, but I couldn’t be prouder of the fight we’ve fought together. Thank you all.”

It was a season to remember for the Trojans. Winning the Big Ten regular season championship, finishing with a 17-1 conference record, and even beating the overall number 1 seed UCLA twice. Things were looking promising heading into the Big Dance. But alas! Fate had other ideas! One can only wonder how deep USC would’ve gone if they had a fully fit JuJu Watkins.