Coaches, fans feel "void" in March Madness without JuJu Watkins
03/28/2025 10:20 AM
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo are among those lamenting the absence of USC women’s basketball JuJu Watkins from the NCAA Tournament after her season-ending knee injury earlier this week. The sophomore guard, who averaged 27.1 points per game, will miss the remainder of March Madness, leaving a noticeable void in the women's tournament.
"JuJu is raising our game up with how she plays," Staley said Thursday, as reported by Alanis Thames of the Associated Press. "She's a business herself. And to see part of that not be a part of our NCAA Tournament — something is missing. There's a big void."
Watkins tore her ACL during the first quarter of USC's second-round win over Mississippi State. She was carried off the floor and later ruled out for the rest of the season. USC announced she would undergo surgery and begin rehabilitation.
The injury cuts short the season of one of the most prominent faces in women's college basketball, a player whose impact extended beyond the court. Watkins, an AP first-team All-American, holds NIL deals with major brands and drew celebrities to USC games in Los Angeles.
"It's a massive disappointment because she's such an extraordinary player," Lobo said. "People would be watching her for the first time in the regionals. It's a huge disappointment and blow."
Watkins' absence comes as NCAA women's tournament attendance and viewership dip from last year's record-setting marks. First-round games averaged 367,000 viewers, a 22% drop from 2023, while in-person attendance also fell by nearly 30%.
Other players and coaches echoed the sentiment. UCLA center Lauren Betts said she "felt sorry" for Watkins and USC's program. UCLA guard Kiki Rice called the injury "tough," especially for a rival whose presence elevated the sport.
"To see, even a competitor, but someone who is a face of the sport, too, to just have her season end just like that? It sucks," UCLA Rice said, per Anna M. Peterson of the Associated Press. "I mean, obviously we play against each other and it's a rivalry, but you hate to see anyone go down with an injury like that. And she's a great player, a great person."
A No. 1 seed, the Trojans continue their tournament run Saturday in the Sweet 16 against Kansas State in Spokane. It will be the Trojans' first full game without Watkins, who helped lead the program to its deepest postseason showing in decades.
"JuJu is loved by all of us," Staley added. "There's no replacing her."
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