LOS ANGELES — USC guard JuJu Watkins went down grabbing her right knee after trying to plant it to make a move on a fast break with 4:43 left in the first quarter of the Trojans’ NCAA Tournament second round game against Mississippi State.
Watkins stayed down for a few minutes as head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, assistants and trainers checked on her. The trainers eventually carried her to the locker room in their arms as she was unable to place any weight on her leg.
Watkins was voted Big Ten Player of the Year. In her sophomore season at USC, she averaged 24.6 points and 7 rebounds per game.
USC issued a statement neared halftime, saying, “JuJu Watkins is being evaluated by USC Keck Medicine staff and will not return to competition in tonight’s NCAA Second Round game.”
This story will be updated.