Kiki Iriafen extends support for JuJu Watkins suffers season-ending ACL injury

USC forward Kiki Iriafen extended support for star guard JuJu Watkins after her season ending injury against Mississippi State on Monday. Iriafen posted an in-game photo alongside Watkins on her Instagram story, captioning it with two mending heart emojis.

Iriafen supports Watkins during her recovery through an IG story | via @kikiiriafen/ig

Wakitns suffered a right knee ACL while driving to the basket during a fastbreak in the first quarter of the NCAA second-round matchup. The guard stayed on the floor for over a minute before she was assisted to the locker room.

Initially, USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said that the guard would not return to action during a halftime interview. The team was unable to understand the nature of Watkins' injury due to the lack of an MRI machine at the program. Watkins was carried out to the Keck Medical Center for further assessment.

Watkins gained national fame last season after posting a record-setting 920 points as a freshman. The 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year replicated her scoring stint this season, averaging 23.9 points for the second spot on the NCAA leaderboard.

Watkins is in conversation for multiple prestigious awards. She is a semifinalist for the College Player of the Year and a finalist for the Wade Trophy and Defensive Player of the Year.

Former NCAA champions and WNBA star predicts JuJu Watkins will be out for the 2025-26 season

1995 NCAA champion and retired WNBA player Rebecca Lobo has predicted a 12-month recovery timeline for JuJu Watkins. This would keep the Trojans' star out of the 2025-26 season.

Lobo's prediction stems from observing other D1 star players who went through the same injuries.

"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," she said on NBA Today on Tuesday.

Lobo highlighted that Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles, who missed an entire season for recovery, continued to unlock another level in their games.

"But one thing that she can look to is the success of some of her contemporaries," Lobo said. "We saw Paige Bueckers, a couple years ago, tear an ACL, and then returned last year and led UConn to a Final Four.

"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, perform at a really high level."

JuJu Watkins led USC in points and assists this season. She will be missed during the Sweet 16 game against Kansas State on Saturday.