JuJu Watkins gets tears in her eyes after first game back since suffering a torn ACL injury
· Yahoo Sports
JuJu Watkins was emotional after completing her first game back from an ACL injury that kept her out of action for 588 days.
She scored 21 points in a 100-68 win for the USC Trojans against the UNLV Rebels. The 21-year-old did show some rustiness shooting the ball, as she went 9-for-22 from the field and missed all five of her three-point attempts.
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In what was the first game for USC Trojans this season, it was huge to have Watkins back, as without her last season, they failed to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
As she finished the game, Watkins was headed to give her walkoff interview but even before a question could be asked, there were visible tears in her eyes.
JuJu Watkins grateful to be back on the court
Watkins tore her ACL during the USC Trojans’ second-round NCAA game against Mississippi State in 2025. With her injured, USC was not able to go beyond the Elite Eight.
She averaged 23.8 points, which helped her win the Naismith College Player of the Year for the 2024-25 season. However, after the injury, Watkins had to miss her entire junior year and helped her teammates from the sidelines.
“A little bit,” said Watkins when asked if the feeling of returning to the court had sunk in. “So many hours went into this, so just grateful at this point.”
In her freshman year, Watkins burst onto the scene with elite performances, averaging 27.1 points, which was a record for the program. Her injury in the second season was a big blow for the team, as she had led them to the number one seed and looked confident to help USC get back the NCAA Championship, which they last won in 1984.
Having missed an entire season, Watkins will be hoping to pick up where she left off and help USC with another big scoring season. They also have another talented player in Jazzy Davidson, who showed flashes of brilliance in her freshman year. If the duo are able to combine well, the Trojans definitely will be an elite offence and the team to beat this season.
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