“Watkins goes down hard, and she’s grabbing her right knee…” USC’s playoff dreams turned into a nightmare only a few minutes into their second-round game! JuJu Watkins, the Trojans’ centerpiece, was trying to split the lane between two defenders and got fouled hard. What happened next? Every fan’s worst fears suddenly came true. But not everybody is giving up hope as wishes for her recovery grow louder.

The six-foot-two point guard is as talented as they come, and the Trojans were relying on her offensive abilities to make a championship push this year. Before tearing her ACL, Watkins was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, putting her in the upper echelon of collegiate hoopers. Recognizing her greatness, she was awarded the Big Ten Player of the Year award! Not only that, but she was one of the front-runners for NPOY honors this year, competing with the likes of Hannah Hidalgo and Paige Bueckers. But her injury has set her back quite a bit.

ACL tears take time to heal; there’s no avoiding surgery, and there’s no avoiding the grueling rehab that follows. Still, she’s not alone in this battle! Indiana Fever star and Iowa alum Caitlin Clark, on her X account, posted well-wishes for the USC star. “Sending all my thoughts and prayers to JuJu. Kid will come back stronger than ever.” She said, giving her best regards to Watkins. 

The young USC phenom was on track to set all kinds of records during her sophomore season! She recorded 1709 points over her first two years, which is a record in and of itself. Watkins also made the AP All-American First Team for the second time in two years! That’s ground-breaking, considering how selective the panels are. With how she was playing, the Trojans looked ready to win it all this season. But they aren’t giving up this soon.

Watkins’ injury ended up safeguarding a lot of Clark’s records in her sophomore year. But how close did the USC guard get to one of the greatest college players of her time? Let’s find out!

JuJu Watkins and Caitlin Clark: How do their sophomore years match up?

Caitlin Clark is considered to be one of the greatest college players of all time. The six-foot guard redefined what it meant to win and brought a competitive fire to every game that she played, and now the WNBA ratings are an answer to it. However, hot on her heels is JuJu Watkins, the record-breaker from USC. There are a bunch of CC’s sophomore records that’ll stay safe after Watkins’ injury, but there are also a few that she’s already broken.

For example, Watkins surpassed Caitlin Clark’s two-year points total of 1662 during the Big Ten Tournament championship game. The USC sophomore currently sits at 1709 points over her first two years, losing out on possibly breaking Kelsey Mitchell’s scoring record due to injury.

However, comparisons with CC are always tough to make. The Hawkeyes’ alum had one of the best statistical college careers of all time, breaking the NCAA D1 scoring record for both men and women. Not only that, she was a unanimous All-American in her sophomore year for both the AP and the USBWA, and won the Nancy Lieberman Award as well!

JuJu Watkins would have had an equally impressive resume if not for her injury. The Trojans’ guard was well on her way to competing for a championship, and with the way she was scoring? No record was safe. Her injury is a genuine tragedy, and it changes the entire look of the NCAA Tournament going forward. How will the Trojans cope? Only time will tell.