-
Alexa Philippou
USC star JuJu Watkins will sit out the 2025-26 college basketball season as she continues to recover from a right ACL tear that she suffered in the second round of the NCAA tournament, she announced Sunday.
“These last few months have been filled with a lot of healing, rest, and reflection,” Watkins posted to her Instagram story. “Recovering from this injury hasn’t been easy, and I want to say thank you — your love, support, and kind words have truly lifted me up during one of the most challenging times in my life.
“Because you’ve been with me every step of the way, I wanted you to hear it from me directly that following the advice of my doctors and trainers, I will sit out this season and fully focus on continuing to recover so I can come back to the game I love.”
Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.2 steals as a sophomore on her way to winning multiple player of the year awards and becoming a two-time first-team All-American. At 20 years old, she’s already widely considered to be a top WNBA prospect.
“JuJu’s health and well-being are our top priority, and we fully support her decision to focus on recovery this season,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said in a statement. “While we will certainly miss her impact on the court, she continues to play a vital role in our program as a leader and teammate. The strength and maturity she has shown through this process is a reflection of who she is, and we know the Trojan Family will continue to rally behind her. We look forward to the day she returns to competition stronger than ever.”
The 6-foot-2 guard catapulted her hometown Trojans back into national relevance as soon as she stepped onto campus. She led USC to the 2024 Pac-12 tournament title and the 2025 Big Ten regular-season crown, plus back-to-back No. 1 seeds and Elite Eight finishes in the NCAA tournament.
Watkins reached 1,000 career points in 38 games, tied for the fourth fastest to reach the mark in Division I history.
USC will not only have to deal with Watkins’ absence, but reset following the departures of Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall and Talia von Oelhoffen (graduation) plus Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel (transfers). But the Trojans will bring in No. 1 recruit Jasmine Davidson to help soften the blow.
“I’m excited to keep putting the work in to come back even stronger,” Watkins wrote.
