Analyst Rebecca Lobo speaks on JuJu Watkins' status for next season as USC star recovers from injury

USC's Sweet 16 win over Mississippi State was overshadowed by a devastating setback as their star player, JuJu Watkins, suffered a torn ACL on Monday night.

On ESPN’s "NBA Today," analyst Rebecca Lobo, who experienced an ACL tear herself in 1999, provided insight into Watkins’ injury.

"Well, what we've seen, especially recently with high-level athletes in terms of women's college basketball, is it's about a 12-month recovery process for them to get back on the court. ... JuJu and her team had a realistic chance to win a national championship this year," Lobo said.

"So, of course, there are a lot of emotions and feelings there. But one thing that she can look to is the success of some of her contemporaries."

Lobo pointed to examples of players who have successfully returned from ACL injuries and performed at a high level.

"We saw Paige Bueckers a couple of years ago and then returned last year and led UConn to a Final Four," Lobo said. "Olivia Miles from Notre Dame tore her ACL, sat out last year, and this year, she's having a career year in terms of her efficiency. So, we have seen players come back from this and perform at a really high level."

In terms of her professional future, Lobo shared an interesting aspect of Watkins' eligibility for the WNBA draft.

"One of the things that's interesting to me, as a person who covers the WNBA, JuJu Watkins is a player who is eligible for the 2027 draft," Lobo said. "Assuming she redshirts next season, which I think is a fair assumption, she would still be able to enter that 2027 draft but could also return to USC for a fourth year of eligibility and wait until the 2028 draft."

How does the road look for USC without Watkins?

JuJu Watkins, who was averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, was named the Big Ten Player of the Year and earned unanimous first-team All-American honors for the second consecutive season.

On ESPN’s "Get Up," Rebecca Lobo also shared her thoughts on how Watkins' absence could affect USC’s championship journey ahead.

"I don't know that any of the teams left in the tournament have a player who is as important to their success as JuJu Watkins is to USC's success," Lobo said. "Without her on the floor, this is not a USC team that I think could win a national championship."

The Trojans now face a huge challenge, needing to overcome Kansas State and potentially Oklahoma or UConn to reach the Final Four, which will not be easy without their star on the court.