USC star JuJu Watkins ‘doing great’ in ACL rehab; timeline uncertain
LOS ANGELES — There is no timetable for when Southern California women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins could return after suffering a season-ending injury in March.
Coach Lindsay Gottlieb gave an update on her guard’s status with reporters on Thursday, Sept. 18. She said Watkins has been “doing great” during her recovery and has been with the team during the summer. Gottlieb added, “JuJu is going to be back at some point,” but there is no answer if it will be this upcoming season.
“She’s doing well, I don’t have too much more to elaborate on that,” Gottlieb said. It’s a long process, and I’m just trying to be here for her to make sure this time when she’s not able to play the game that I’m still what she needs me to be.
“I have no other update in terms of timetable, so just to preemptively say I don’t know anything else other than that, other than she’s attacking her rehab and in a really good, good place with that,” she added.
What happened to JuJu Watkins?
Watkins suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament against Mississippi State. The injury happened early in the first quarter as Watkins suddenly went down without any noticeable contact. She immediately grabbed her right knee and was in visible pain before she was taken off the court.
The injury sidelined Watkins for the remainder of the tournament. It was a devastating blow for a Trojans team that had national championship aspirations after a 28-3 regular season in which it won the Big Ten regular season title and was a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans advanced to the Elite Eight, where they were eliminated by eventual national champion Connecticut to deny USC its first Final Four appearance since 1986.
The hometown kid, Watkins continued to build off her dazzling freshman season with a sophomore year that solidified her as one of the faces of the sport. She averaged 23.9 points per game − sixth most in Division I − with 3.4 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. Watkins scored in double figures in 32 of the 33 games she played. She was named Big Ten Player of the Year, was a unanimous first-team All-American selection and named the women’s 2025 Naismith National Player of the Year.
When could JuJu Watkins return?
While there is no definitive timeline for when Watkins could return, there is a chance she could play in the 2025-26 season.
ACL tears typically require 8-12 months of recovery, and since Watkins suffered her injury in March, there is a chance she could return as early December before conference play begins.
However, it’s unlikely Watkins returns that soon and she could end up not returning until March around the 2026 NCAA Tournament. She could also sit out the upcoming season and return for 2026-27 campaign.
USC women’s basketball 2025-26 outlook
With Watkins still recovering from injury, USC will be without its star in some of the most notable matchups of the 2025-26 season. The Trojans play North Carolina State on Nov. 9 and South Carolina on Nov. 15, as well as a road trip to Notre Dame on Nov. 21 and a home game against Connecticut on Dec. 13.
Despite missing Watkins, USC still remains a loaded team that will contend in the Big Ten and for a spot in the Final Four. Breakout guard Kennedy Smith is back and it has added consensus five-star recruit Jazzy Davidson and UCLA-transfer Londynn Jones.
