https://apnews.com/article/march-madness-juju-watkins-hurt-usc-12f286a14edad1e632dd1a4938132a88
LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor with a season-ending knee injury in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern California’s game against Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
Watkins, one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball, was streaking to the basket chased by two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right leg, the non-contact injury causing her to crumple to the floor. She grabbed her knee and writhed in pain as her teammates surrounded her.
“I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu lying on the floor and crying,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
Later on, a team spokesperson said Watkins will undergo surgery and then begin rehabilitation.
The crowd in Galen Center went silent as 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 by multiple people with the…