With the one-seed Trojans web hosting nine-seed Mississippi Condition inside the Round of 32, Watkins went down with an clear suitable knee injury. She couldn't put fat on her legs and was carried from the court docket by USC's teaching staff members customers.

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Her ideal knee appeared to be untouched nevertheless it twisted However, resulting in Watkins to immediately cry out since the Formerly deafeningly crowd close to her grew sweepingly silent.

On a court docket where by she flies, USC’s Watkins collapsed. Inside of a Activity through which her contortions are magic, she lay curled up in the ball. At a college exactly where she prospects thousands, she found herself a great deal by yourself, mouth open, chest heaving, crying and screaming again and again.

“And you simply want to offer everything back. You wish to give everything back and help her on the other hand we can.”

Watkins, considered one of the greatest stars in Ladies's basketball, was streaking into the basket chased by two defenders when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her appropriate leg, the non-Make contact with injury causing her to crumple to the ground. She grabbed her knee and writhed in ache as her teammates surrounded her.

Her teammates huddled within a circle close to her, and Gottlieb and assistant coach Wendale Farrow arrived within the bench to examine on Watkins ahead of Trojans staffers carried the sophomore guard off the floor.

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"They're gonna stand powering their house team. They're gonna go tricky for JuJu," claimed MSU guard Jerkaila Jordan, who scored seventeen factors. "I couldn't do absolutely nothing but respect them."

"I'll be lying if I advised you I was not rattled looking at JuJu over the court and crying," Gottlieb told reporters after the recreation.

“After we misplaced Ju, she obviously contains a substantial usage level, does quite a bit to the team, so I feel All people else knew that we needed to stage up and are available collectively,” guard Talia von Oelhoffen said.

In the 2nd quarter, USC guard Malia Samuels went down tricky within the baseline. She held her head in her arms as the group booed and Gottlieb all over again came hurrying out to check to the sophomore, who ran the offense in Watkins’ absence.

"My prayers and thoughts are with JuJu," MSU coach Sam Purcell stated. "Certainly, we're rivals so you never ever would like to see that, In particular what she usually means for Women of all ages's basketball."

USC has not still announced the details from the injury, but did share that Watkins had sustained a "year-ending injury" and will "undergo surgical procedure and after that commence rehabilitation Soon thereafter."

Right after check here Watkins was damage, the crowd loudly booed Mississippi Condition anytime it had the ball. The college's cheerleaders were being booed throughout their halftime regime and the gang received to the team once more since it warmed up for the 2nd half.