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USC Reacts to Major Juju Watkins News on Wednesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jeremy Beren | Last updated May 14, 2025 3:25 PM ET

As JuJu Watkins continues to recover from a devastating knee injury, the USC Trojans continue to support her publicly amid strong hopes the star guard can return to the hardwood during the 2025-26 college basketball season.

Watkins on Wednesday was nominated for Sportswoman of the Year at the BET Awards, which will be held June 9 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. It marks the second consecutive year that Watkins is up for the award; she lost out to Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese in 2024.

Watkins joins Reese, Simone Biles, Coco Gauff, Flau'jae Johnson, Sha'Carri Richardson, Claressa Shields, Dawn Staley and A'ja Wilson on the list of nominees.

JuJu Watkins has been nominated for Sportswoman of the Year at the @BETAwards! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/kMyDcdhb0R
— USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) May 14, 2025

After leading USC to the Elite Eight as a freshman in 2023-24, Watkins won the Naismith Award and was named AP Player of the Year as a sophomore. Watkins guided the Trojans back to the NCAA Tournament, again as a No. 1 seed. The Los Angeles native led the Big Ten in scoring at 23.9 points per game, and she appeared poised to guide USC to its first Final Four since 1986 — if not a first national title in 40 years.

But on March 24, Watkins tore the ACL in her right knee in the first quarter of USC's second-round matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The injury ended her run in the tournament, and the Trojans lost to the UConn Huskies in the Elite Eight.

Last month, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said Watkins was "doing great" as she continued to rehab the injury. Gottlieb has not offered a timetable for Watkins' return, and it is possible that the 19-year-old does not play until 2026 amid a possible redshirt campaign.

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

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