USC Star JuJu Watkins Out Entire 2025-26 Season After ACL Tear

USC star guard JuJu Watkins announced she will miss the entire 2025-26 college basketball season to fully recover from a torn ACL injury sustained in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament. Watkins, the 2025 Naismith National Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-American, has been undergoing a challenging rehabilitation process and decided to follow her doctors' advice to sit out the season. Her absence is a significant loss for USC and women's college basketball, as she was considered the next major star in the sport following the departures of other top players to the WNBA. Watkins expressed gratitude for the support from her family, teammates, coaches, and USC staff, and she is focused on returning stronger in the future. The Trojans will miss her on-court contributions, as she averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists last season, leading USC to a No. 1 seed and a deep NCAA tournament run. Watkins will remain with USC and is not yet eligible for the WNBA draft until 2027, ensuring her return to college basketball after recovery.