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Caitlin Clark's Wordless Reaction to Heartfelt Message About JuJu Watkins

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Syeda Sadia Shahid | Last updated Mar 29, 2025 8:34 PM ET

JuJu Watkins has spent the 2024 college basketball season doing what few have ever done in a USC Trojans uniform — dominating every game she touched.

The sophomore guard led the Trojans to a 30-3 record and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That momentum came to a sudden, painful halt earlier this week.

In the opening moments of USC's 96-59 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Watkins went down clutching her knee in visible distress. Hours later, the devastating news followed: a torn ACL. Her season is over.

The injury alters the Trojans' path through March Madness and sends a shockwave across the women's college basketball world—and the reactions come pouring in.

One, in particular, stood out without saying a word.

Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark took to her Instagram story to share a Gatorade tribute post to Watkins that read, "Setbacks only set the stage."

Clark added no caption, just a quiet repost — a show of respect that spoke volumes.

Watkins finishes her season averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Her dominance earned her back-to-back honors — first in the Pac-12 and this year in the Big Ten, after USC's conference switch.

Watkins is expected to undergo surgery and miss most of the 2025-26 season as she recovers.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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