USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins was left screaming in agony after appearing to suffer a serious right knee injury in the first quarter of the Trojans’ Second Round game.
With just under five minutes remaining in the first quarter of the NCAA Tournament Second Round matchup between USC and Mississippi State, Watkins was attempting to drive towards the basket on a transition play before getting fouled by Chandler Prater.
She would grab for her right knee immediately.
Her pain was captured by ESPN.
It was a moment that was already devastating and heartbreaking, and not many people appreciated ESPN’s decision to continue to show close-up footage of JuJu Watkins in pain.
“I’ll just say, I don’t appreciate how long the camera stayed on Juju when she went down. Switch angles, go to commercial, something! But don’t continue broadcasting,” one fan said.
I’ll just say, I don’t appreciate how long the camera stayed on Juju when she went down. Switch angles, go to commercial, something! But don’t continue broadcasting.
— Portia King (@PortiaKingMedia) March 25, 2025
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“The camera zooming in on Juju crying in pain is so f–king unnecessary!! wtf ESPN!” a second fan added.
The camera zooming in on Juju crying in pain is so fucking unnecessary!! wtf ESPN!
— 🌕 (@moonstranding_) March 25, 2025
“ESPN’s choice of photo for JuJu’s injury is disgusting & blatantly insensitive. IK her girlies were worried about her in the moment, I just wish they would’ve huddled closer to her only/mainly for that reason. That weird USC treatment is the same on both coasts. I wonder why? 🤔” another fan stated.
ESPN’s choice of photo for JuJu’s injury is disgusting & blatantly insensitive. IK her girlies were worried about her in the moment, I just wish they would’ve huddled closer to her only/mainly for that reason.
— Razzlé Dazzlé 🪄 (@KandidlyKrys) March 25, 2025
That weird USC treatment is the same on both coasts. I wonder why? 🤔
“CAMERA PPL, STOP HOVERING OVER PLAYERS WHEN THEY ARE IN PAIN!!!!!” WNBA star Dearica Marie Hamby commented.
CAMERA PPL, STOP HOVERING OVER PLAYERS WHEN THEY ARE IN PAIN!!!!!
— Dearica Marie Hamby (@dearicamarie) March 25, 2025
One final fan added: “And also replaying the injury. We got it. It’s unnecessary. It’s torturous. Not everything needs to be televised.”
And also replaying the injury.
— Marija (@marija24) March 25, 2025
We got it. It’s unnecessary. It’s torturous.
Not everything needs to be televised.
Watkins is a back-to-back first-team AP All-American, finishing the regular season averaging 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
JuJu Watkins Has A Long Recovery Ahead of Her
USC star JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL during her team’s 96-59 win over No. 9 seed Mississippi State in the second round of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament.
Watkins went down during the first quarter and was writhing on the floor in pain. It was so bad that she needed to be carried off the floor without putting any weight on her injured leg.
Watkins is likely to be out for nine months, which means she will miss a large part of the 2025 season.
