The broadcast needed UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma to respond to a question within one minute so that they could go on to the night’s last game, in which USC’s JuJu Watkins was getting ready to lead his team to a possible Sweet 16 appearance.
“Oh, my. Tell her to get off of me immediately so we can approach her, Auriemma commanded. “I would love to see her play.”
Like the most successful college basketball coach in history, most countries share this view.
The most famous college basketball player in the country, Watkins is also a once-in-a-generation phenom who is closing up on Caitlin Clark for the NCAA scoring record. Her games have a loyal fan base and a more casual audience. Evenings at USC’s Galen Center are filled with A-listers who can’t get enough of her effortless style of play.
With a squad poised to challenge for the national title in her sophomore year, the two-way star was poised to make even more waves during the legendary month. Simply said, the first weekend was a stepping stone to the brighter lights to come.
Those illuminations faded rapidly.
Watkins seemed to hurt her right knee during a fast break in the first six minutes of the game against Mississippi State. Watkins was in the same area as two Bulldogs after receiving a ball close to halfcourt when her leg gave out. In an instant, she clenched her aching knee and was helped down the nearest tunnel. She was taken out of the game at halftime as the team said she would be assessed by the professionals at USC’s Keck Medicine. We don’t know the long-term outlook.
To put it plainly, it is a huge disappointment. When given the opportunity, Watkins would slash at a defender without displaying any emotion, earning her reputation as a fierce competitor with a stone-cold expression. As soon as she started grabbing at her knee, it became evident that something was wrong. Exceptionally terrible.
The audience at Galen Center and people throughout the nation were drained of energy at that same moment. Seeing such a devastating accident in March is something no one ever wants to happen.
The likelihood of USC winning the national title is very low if Watkins does not participate in the remaining games of the tournament. At the same time, Connecticut improved significantly by cutting a more direct route out of the Spokane 4 area. In Tampa, the other favorites can focus on their routes to victory without worrying about playing the top player in the country. In her two years as a college player, she has been named the nation’s #2 scorer and has become a top defensive player this year.
There was a real possibility that USC and UConn would meet in the regional final for the second year in a row, with a berth in the Final Four riding on the outcome. As soon as the bracket was published, a slew of factors pointed to this showdown.
On the college level, two players who were considered for Player of the Year, Watkins and Paige Bueckers, would meet for a final match. Bueckers has not won a championship since winning player of the year as a freshman. Watkins has a chance to win a bunch. Both on and off the court, these two superstars have been instrumental in propelling women’s basketball to unprecedented levels of success. Last week, they were both named All-Americans unanimously.
The resurgent Trojans will almost certainly face the undisputed king of their sport, UConn, who has won the national title eleven times. UConn hasn’t been in the Final Four since 1986 and hasn’t advanced to the Final Four since 1984. There was an opportunity for USC to demonstrate its status and defeat the sport’s titan, just as South Carolina had done before.
Loud and only going to get worse, the buzzing was relentless. Another possibility is a rematch between USC and UCLA, USC’s nemesis and an opponent against whom Watkins has performed well. Though they will undoubtedly fall from an all-time high in 2024, viewing numbers are still on the rise and might be boosted by a national championship game involving Watkins.
If Watkins’ injury is as bad as it seems, it will affect the remainder of the tournament and the following seasons. Everyone involved—USC, the tournament, the spectators, and the game—should feel bad about it.
Auriemma and UConn are the only ones who can relate to it. Before the 2022–23 season, Bueckers hurt his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during practice. The record-setting 14-year run of the Huskies making it to the Final Four was broken.
The unfortunate irony is that they may return to the last weekend due to a major injury. Nobody expected it to turn out this way.