JuJu Watkins’ season-ending knee injury leaves a ‘big void’ in women’s NCAA Tournament
Dawn Staley sent JuJu Watkins a text as soon as she saw the star Southern California sophomore suffer a season-ending knee injury earlier this week
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Dawn Staley sent JuJu Watkins a text as soon as she saw the star Southern California sophomore suffer a season-ending knee injury on Monday night.
It was “really tough” to see Watkins in pain, the South Carolina women's basketball coach said.
“JuJu is loved by all of us," Staley added.
Coaches and players all across women's basketball, along with fans of the game, feel the impact of Watkins' injury. The dominant USC guard and Associated Press All-America first-teamer will likely miss significant time, leaving the sport without one of its most transcendent stars during March Madness.
How Watkins’ absence will affect the women’s Sweet 16 remains to be seen, though attendance and ratings are down from last season’s record highs for the women’s tournament that featured Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. But that shouldn’t come as surprise.
After the record-setting numbers that tuned in for the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird showdown in the 1979 national championship, the ratings for the 1980 tourney signficantly dropped.
“JuJu is raising and lifting up our game up with how she plays," said Staley, whose Gamecocks will face Maryland on Friday in the Sweet 16, "with cornering the market when it comes to NIL deals. 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.”
In the opening two rounds of this year's women's tournament, there were 224,972 fans in attendance, representing a 30% decrease from last season’s record that saw 292,456 people show up. Still, this year’s mark is the third highest ever, also trailing the 231,677 that came to March Madness in 2023.
Ratings also dropped, with the first round averaging 367,000 viewers across all 32 games. That’s a 22% drop from last season. But those numbers are up 43% from the 2023 tournament, which was the second-most watched ever.
“It’s a massive disappointment because she’s such an extraordinary player,” said ESPN college basketball analyst Rebecca Lobo. “People would be watching her for the first time in the regionals. It’s a huge disappointment and blow as we’ve had so much growth over last year and a half.
"She’s been a big part of that.”
Watkins' knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right foot on a fast break five minutes into USC's victory against Mississippi State in the second round. She immediately grimaced and collapsed onto the court before being carried off by multiple people, unable to put any weight on her leg. USC later said she would have surgery and then rehabilitate.
After the injury, many took to social media to express their heartbreak and send encouragement, including Johnson, Reese and Clark.
“Sending all my thoughts and prayers to JuJu,” Clark posted on X. “Kid will come back stronger than ever.”
Watkins had emerged as the next face of women's college basketball after Clark raised its profile to unprecedented levels while at Iowa. The 6-foot-2 Watkins led USC to its deepest run in the NCAA Tournament in over 25 years last season and was the nation’s No. 2 scorer, averaging 27.1 points.
She has NIL deals with Nike, Fanatics, snack maker Mondelez, United Airlines, Degree deodorant, State Farm, Gatorade and collectibles company Funko, among others. And her NIL valuation is one of the highest in the country at an estimated $739,000, according to On3.com.
Celebrities all over star-studded Los Angeles flocked to USC's Galen Center to watch her play this season, including movie star Michael B. Jordan, rapper Snoop Dogg and Vanessa Bryant.
While this year's field is full of individual talent and numerous legitimate title contenders, many were excited to watch Watkins continue her stellar season — in which she averaged 24.6 points — and potentially lead the Trojans to their first national championship in 41 years.
“My mom played basketball at Santa Clara, so I’ve kind of been tapped into the tournament," said Claire Swendsen, 22, who is in Spokane, Washington, for the other half of the Sweet 16. "I have planned on attending one of UConn’s and one of USC’s games. This kind of puts a damper on the SC game."
There are still big names in the tournament that resonate with fans, including Connecticut senior Paige Bueckers, who also had to rebound from an ACL injury and is making her last run at a national championship. UConn’s blowout win over South Dakota State was the most-watched game of the second round, drawing an average of 1.7 million viewers to ESPN on Monday night.
Watkins "will come back better and stronger,” said UCLA coach Cori Close. " ... She’s such a fighter. She’ll be ready. That being said, I feel like it’s time for people around the country to really step up and see some of the other amazing players who are ready to shine. I am so sad that JuJu is not playing in the tournament anymore, but I am excited for other players are going to step into that spotlight.”
There are many talented players in the women's field, but few with Watkins' star power.
“What did we see last year with the epic battle with LSU and Iowa?" Lobo, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame who won an NCAA title with UConn, asked rhetorically. “We had the potential to get a similar kind of rematch in the Elite Eight of this one” with a Watkins-Bueckers matchup.
“Even if both USC and UConn are there,” Lobo added, "it won’t be the same without JuJu. They are the biggest stars in women’s basketball. Missing one of them is huge.”
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AP Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg and AP Sports Writer Anne Peterson contributed. Peterson contributed from Spokane, Washington.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
