LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins was carried off the floor in the first quarter of top-seeded Southern California’s game against Mississippi State in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.

Watkins was driving to the basket when she went down between two Bulldogs defenders with 4:43 remaining. She grabbed her right knee with a pained expression on her face.

Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen, right, warms up behind guard JuJu Watkins, left,...
Southern California forward Kiki Iriafen, right, warms up behind guard JuJu Watkins, left, before a game against Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)(AP)

The crowd in Galen Center went silent as coach Lindsay Gottlieb and two other USC staffers attended to Watkins, a 6-foot-2 sophomore who averages 24.6 points and is one of the biggest stars in the women’s game. She was carried off the court by multiple people and the game went to a media timeout with the Trojans leading 13-2.

The crowd loudly booed Mississippi State on its next possession.

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