To say JuJu Watkins is in the middle of a tough part of her collegiate career isn't an understatement, and it's something Watkins was open about while speaking with reporters following the first day of training camp with USA Basketball Friday.
Watkins, who tore her ACL during the 2025 March Madness tournament, reflected on one of the hardest parts of her recovery, and also offered advice to young players who are experiencing a similarly devastating injury. "I think everything's different for everybody," she began, "[but] I would say for me personally, I think getting over that mental curve has been the biggest [hurdle]."
"I don't really know what that looks like for other people," she continued, "but I think just coming to terms with it as soon as you can, and [trying] to have a positive mindset as much as possible [helps]."
JuJu Watkins tore her ACL in March
Watkins' 2024-25 season came to a screeching halt when she tore her ACL during the USC Trojans' March 24 game against Mississippi State. The injury had a major impact on the Trojans, who were hoping to advance as far as possible during the NCAA tournament, as well as the 2027 WNBA Draft.
It's currently assumed Watkins will plan to enter the WNBA ahead of the 2027 season, which will allow her to graduate from college and play one more season with the Trojans once she's healthy and ready to get back out on the court... but she could decide to take another year at USC and wait to be drafted in 2028. In addition to Watkins, the draft class is expected to include Hannah Hidalgo, Khamil Pierre, Milaysia Fulwiley, Audi Crooks, Mikaylah Williams, Kymora Johnson and more — it's an incredibly stacked class.
That basically means that Watkins can't make a wrong move. Regardless of how intense the 2027 Draft class is expected to be, she will still enter the WNBA Draft as one of the most highly sought after players.
This scenario was similar to the one that her USA Basketball teammate Paige Bueckers faced after tearing her own ACL during a pick-up game ahead of the 2022-23 season. While Bueckers was expected to be drafted to the WNBA in 2024, she opted to spend another season with the UConn Huskies instead. As a result, she helped lead her team to the NCAA Championship and was drafted as the No. 1 overall pick in 2025.