JuJu Watkins has broken her silence after encountering a season-ending injury during March Madness. The 19-year-old USC basketball star shared a message on her Instagram Stories on March 31 thanking her fans and friends for their support after she tore her ACL in the second round of the tournament on March 24.

The No. 2 Huskies downed No. 1 USC 78-64 in the Elite Eight on Monday as the Trojans were without star JuJu Watkins, who suffered a torn ACL in the Round of 32. The Final Four appearance is the 24th for the Huskies, the most of any program in women's college basketball history.

USC will be without one of its brightest stars Saturday, after JuJu Watkins injured her knee against Mississippi State in the second round.

As the USC statement indicated, Watkins will require surgery and then rehab. In recent history, women’s basketball players have needed about a year to recover from a torn ACL. For example, UConn’s Azzi Fudd, LSU’s Sa’Myah Smith and Ole Miss’ KK Deans each tore an ACL in November 2023 yet returned to game action by November 2024.

Among the Trojans' 28 victories was a tightly contested, 72-70 win over UConn in December. Watkins was the star of the game, leading all scorers with 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with six rebounds and five assists.

When JuJu Watkins crumbled to the hardwood last week with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, it wasn’t just the end of her sophomore campaign, but the beginning of a long, grueling journey.

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans in the first half of play against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second round of the NCAA Women'

JuJu Watkins thanked fans for their kind messages after her injury and showed support for her USC teammates following the program's NCAA Tournament loss vs. UConn.