USC star JuJu Watkins locks in during a shooting drill at the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Training Camp in Phoenix. (Photo: USA Basketball)
PHOENIX — On March 24, 2025, the trajectory of women’s college basketball shifted when USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL during the second round of the NCAA Tournament. After a grueling year spent on the sidelines watching the 2025-26 season from the bench, the consensus National Player of the Year is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Returning to the hardwood as a limited participant in the USA Women’s National Team Training Camp at Mountain America Performance Center in Phoenix, Watkins looked rejuvenated. In the same facility where the Phoenix Mercury hone their craft, Watkins began the process of trusting her knee and the journey that brought her here.
“I think this journey has definitely taught me to have a lot of patience,” Watkins said Friday. “So many ups and downs within the process, but just staying true to myself and staying true to the process.”
The change of scenery from Los Angeles to the desert has provided a mental spark for the 20-year-old guard, who swept the Associated Press and Naismith Player of the Year awards in 2025 before the injury.
A year away from the court has taught JuJu Watkins the value of patience and preparation as she works her way back to full strength. (Photo: USA Basketball)
“I would love to be out there participating with everyone else to the best of my ability,” Watkins admitted. “Just to be here and be in this space, get out of L.A. for a while. It’s a different change of scenery. It’s really nice. Just reminding me to stick with it.”
In her first two years with the Trojans, Watkins made a huge name for herself, winning many accolades, including the Associated Press Player of the Year and National Player of the Year awards, while being on a tear.
One of the star players, former Seattle Storm guard and USA Women’s Basketball Managing Director Sue Bird, has been put in the similar spot before in her collegiate career.
In her freshman season with the UConn Huskies, she tore her ACL in her left knee and had to miss the remainder of the 1998-99 season.
A Touch More episode, co-hosted by Bird and Megan Rapinoe, featured Watkins sharing her journey to recovery. Watkins revealed on March 12 that her recovery and rehab process was tough and crazy, while being accepting of where she is.
“JuJu’s in a great spot,” Bird said of Watkins. “Obviously, tearing your ACL as a young player is not fun. But, I can speak firsthand, you learn a lot from the experience. And just in talking to her, you can see she’s in a really settled place, a really calm place. Ready to get back on the court. I’m sure she’s itching to do that.
“As you get closer to the end, it actually gets harder because you know you’re ready, but you still have to take your time with it. But she looks great. I know she’ll have a great summer, and hopefully we’ll see her back on the court next year.”
Another familiar face went through a similar situation, Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, has given Watkins about staying true to herself after undergoing surgery and making her way back to the court.
Bueckers missed the 2022-23 season for the Huskies, who fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sweet Sixteen, as she focused on recovery. She used her extra year of eligibility and led UConn to its first National Championship since 2016 in Tampa Bay last year.
JuJu Watkins was a limited participant in Phoenix, focusing on the meticulous rehab steps necessary for a high-level return to the Trojans. (Photo: USA Basketball)
“Paige is definitely giving me a lot of advice, and we always talk about it, so she’s definitely been a great help,” Watkins said of Bueckers. “Cam (Brink) is another player (that went through a similar situation). But so many people have reached out giving me words of encouragement and wisdom.”
As Watkins eyes her official return to the Trojans for the 2026-27 season, she joins a roster teeming with talent, including sophomore standout Jazzy Davidson and the nation’s No. 1 recruit for 2026, Saniyah Hall.
For the Trojan Family and the wider basketball world, the sight of Watkins back in a USA jersey, even in a limited capacity, is a sign that one of the game’s brightest stars is ready to reclaim her orbit.
