USC star JuJu Watkins carried off floor with knee injury against Mississippi State in March Madness

By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor with a right knee injury in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern California’s game against Mississippi State in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.

Watkins, one of the biggest stars in the women’s game, was streaking to the basket between two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg, causing her to crumple to the floor with 4:43 remaining. She grabbed her knee and writhed in pain as her teammates surrounded her.

The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to the 19-year-old Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points. She was carried off the court by multiple people and the game went to a media timeout with the Trojans leading 13-2.

The crowd loudly booed Mississippi State on its subsequent possessions.

Watkins was 0 of 2 shooting, with three free throws, one rebound and two assists in five minutes.

The Trojans led 28-8 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, USC guard Malia Samuels went down hard on the baseline. She held her head in her hands as the crowd booed and Gottlieb again came rushing out to check on the sophomore, who ran the offense in Watkins’ absence.

Watkins hurt her left hand after the ball jammed her fingers in USC’s first-round blowout win over UNC Greensboro. She later came up limping on her left leg and winced.

“It’s the end of the season, body is a little banged up,” she said afterward. “On to the next. Nobody cares. I’m all good.”

USC reached the Elite Eight in Watkins’ first season a year ago, losing to Paige Bueckers and UConn. The teams could meet again in a regional final in Spokane, Washington, this year.

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