- ESPN reports star will undergo surgery on torn ACL
- Trojans fans boo opposing team and cheerleaders
USC’s JuJu Watkins went down with a season-ending knee injury five minutes into her team’s NCAA Tournament victory over Mississippi State on Monday night. The top-seeded Trojans kept going without their star player, pummeling Mississippi State 96-59 to reach the Sweet 16 for the second straight year, but the injury cast a shadow over the entire evening as one of college basketball’s biggest stars was left in serious distress.
Watkins was streaking to the basket chased by two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg, the non-contact injury causing her to crumple to the floor. The crowd went silent as she writhed in pain and clutched her knee while her teammates looked on helplessly and USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb rushed to her side. ESPN reported that the 19-year-old has torn her ACL and will undergo surgery. Watkins was averaging 24.6 points this season for USC.
