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Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark sent an emotional message to USC phenom JuJu Watkins after she suffered a torn ACL during her 2025 NCAA Women's March Madness second-round game against Mississippi State Monday (March 24) night.
"Sending all my thoughts and prayers to JuJu. Kid will come back stronger than ever," Clark wrote on her X account along with a heart emoji.
Watkins, 19, has emerged as women's college basketball's brightest star since Clark and the biggest threat to challenge her record as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer prior to her injury. The sophomore appeared to lose her footing and fell while driving to the basket, having immediately grabbed her leg as she appeared to be in intense pain before eventually being carried off the court with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter of the Regional 4 matchup.
The Trojans issued a halftime statement confirming that Watkins was being evaluated by USC Keck Medicine staff and would be absent for the remainder of the game.
“She’s getting seen by our great medical team. We have a group, and a fan base and a team that’s going to have her back no matter what,” USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said during ESPN's live broadcast. “JuJu is the toughest kid I know and she’s gonna be good one way or another.”
Watkins averaged 24.6 points, seven rebounds and 3.5 assists while leading USC to a 29-3 record during the 2024-25 season.
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