Is JuJu Watkins playing today vs Stanford? Looking at USC guard’s availability against the Cardinal

JuJu Watkins is set to lead the USC Trojans in the Pac-12 Tournament final against the Stanford Cardinal at 5:00 p.m. ET on Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The six-foot-two Watkins is coming off a big game against No. 7 UCLA in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinal on Saturday. She tallied 33 points to lead the No. 5 Trojans to an 80-70 double-overtime victory over the Bruins.

However, there were anxious moments for the Trojans in the first few minutes of the game, as Watkins fell to the floor with a left knee injury. She had to sit out to get some treatment but returned two minutes later. She would re-injure the same ankle in first overtime. Watkins soldiered on despite the pain, helping the Trojans win the game.

The freshman guard is expected to spearhead USC's attack against Stanford, and Watkins hopes that she would repeat her awesome production in the only meeting of the two teams this season.

The 18-year-old dropped a career-high 51 points in 34 minutes, leading USC to a 67-58 victory over Stanford on Feb. 2. Watkins also had 11 rebounds, two assists, and four steals.

She shot 14-of-26, including 6-of-11 from the 3-point line, and made 17-of-19 attempts from the free-throw line.

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JuJu Watkins injury update

Watkins and the USC Trojans

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said that Watkins is undergoing "round the clock" treatment for her ankle injury. She was seen limping in practice on Saturday, but Gottlieb said that she's ready to go in the tournament final against Stanford.

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Is JuJu Watkins playing today?

Yes. Watkins will play today against Stanford despite her limp. After the UCLA game, she said that there was an urgency to come back in the game despite the injury.

"It's just an ankle. Nothing I'm not used to. Feel great," she said.

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JuJu Watkins stats last game

Apart from scoring 33 points, Watkins ended with 10 rebounds (six offensive and four defensive), one assist, two steals and two blocks in 41 minutes.

The six-foot-two guard was not good from the field, as she only made 9-of-27 shots, including 1-of-6 from the 3-point line. However, she remained steady from the free-throw line, making 14-of-17 attempts.

Watkins will hope that her injury doesn't exacerbate in the lead-up to the afternoon clash against Stanford, as the Pac-12 tournament title is at stake.