USC women’s basketball standout JuJu Watkins announced Sunday that she will sit out the 2025-26 season to focus on recovering from the knee injury that ended her sophomore campaign in the NCAA Tournament.
Watkins tore the ACL in her right knee during the Trojans’ second-round matchup on March 24. The expected nine-to-12-month recovery timeline left her status for the upcoming season in doubt. On Sunday, she made her decision official with a statement posted to social media.
“These last few months have been filled with a lot of healing, rest and reflection,” Watkins wrote. “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.”
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Support From Trojans
Watkins added that she is “incredibly thankful” for her family, teammates, coaches and the USC training staff for their daily support.
USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb voiced her full backing of the decision.
“JuJu’s health and well-being are our top priority, and we fully support her decision to focus on recovery this season,” Gottlieb said. “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.”
JuJu Watkins’ Historic Start
Watkins, 20, is coming off a decorated sophomore season in which she swept nearly every major national award, including the Naismith Trophy, Wooden Award, USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale Award and Associated Press First-Team All-America honors.
She averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game while guiding the Trojans to a Big Ten regular-season championship and a second straight Elite Eight appearance.
Through two seasons, the 6-foot-2 guard has already cemented herself among the most accomplished players in USC history. She became the fastest Trojan — and second-fastest in Division I women’s basketball — to reach 1,000 career points, doing so in just 38 games. Watkins ranks ninth on USC’s all-time scoring list with 1,709 points, while also placing sixth in free throws made (459) and 10th in blocks (114).
USC, which posted its first 30-win season since 1986 last year, enters 2025-26 as the defending Big Ten champions. The Trojans will now have to navigate the season without their leading scorer and national player of the year.
Watkins is not eligible for the WNBA draft until 2027, making a return to USC for the 2026-27 season the likely next step in her career.
