JuJu Watkins injury update: USC guard announces she won't be back during 2025-2026 season

USC superstar JuJu Watkins has officially announced that she will miss the 2025-26 season after suffering a torn ACL last season. She suffered the injury in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this spring.

Watkins posted the news in a graphic, noting how difficult her recovery has been so far. But she plans to keep attacking her rehab.

“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 of my life.

“Because you’ve been with me every steep 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.”

At the time of her injury, JuJu Watkins was in the midst of an impressive sophomore season while leading USC to a No. 1 seed. She was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

The Trojans went on to defeat Mississippi State in that second-round game in the NCAA Tournament, meaning they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. USC then saw its season come to an end in the Elite Eight, finishing the year with a 31-4 overall record.

All the while, JuJu Watkins looked on from afar. She pointed out the difficulty of that position, but she made sure to stay in touch with her teammates throughout their tournament run to let them know she was not only watching, but cheering, as well.

She’ll continue that role this winter. JuJu Watkins announced that she’ll relish that role as best she can.

“I’m incredibly thankful for my family, teammates, coaches, the USC training personnel, Jason, Shane, and everyone who’s continued to support me every day through this journey,” she wrote. “I’m excited to keep putting the work in to come back even stronger.”

On3’s Nick Schultz also contributed to this report.