Will JuJu Watkins injury cost Notre Dame fans chance to see her play?
Basketball fans woke up Tuesday to devastating news about USC star JuJu Watkins. Early in the Trojans' second-round NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State, Watkins' knee buckled, and she went down in extreme pain. She had to be carried off the court, and fans braced for the worst.
Those worst fears have come true as Watkins was announced to have torn her ACL. Not only does that rule her out for the rest of March Madness and deal a significant blow to the Trojans' title hopes, but her availability for a good portion of next season also is in doubt.
This also puts the stakes for what was a highly anticipated matchup with Notre Dame in doubt. This season saw the Irish defeat the Trojans in the first part of a home-and-home. That game took place in Los Angeles and was widely hyped as a game not only between two prominent programs but also Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo:
JuJu Watkins sustained a season-ending injury in the NCAA Second Round on Monday night. She will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation shortly thereafter.
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) March 25, 2025
Now, there's a very good if not certain chance that Irish fans won't even get to see Watkins when these teams meet in South Bend next season. This is a bad situation for everybody, but the fact that Watkins and Hidalgo might only get to face each other in one team's venue and not the other is particularly rough given the historic rivalry between the schools.
Let's hope and pray for the best for Watkins. Her absence creates a void that can't be filled easily if at all.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Will JuJu Watkins injury cost Notre Dame fans chance to see her play?
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