JuJu Watkins | SicEm365

blueeyedbear

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7:29p, 9/29/25

USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins announced on Sunday night that she will be sitting out the entire 2025-2026 season. Watkins suffered a torn ACL in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament this past March.
JuJu Watkins announced on her Instagram that she would not be playing this upcoming season to focus on her rehab process as she recovers from a torn ACL.
Recovering from this injury hasn't been easy, and I want to say thank you," Watkins said on Instagram. "I will sit out this season and fully focus on continuing to recover so I can come back to the game I love."

I have said for years that one year is not enough to FULLY recover from a torn ACL. I begged Kim to redshirt Cox but then Juicy spoke up and said if Lauren red shirts then I will too - that ended that conversation

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DFW Bill

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9:32p, 9/29/25

Lauren had a strained MCL that did not require surgery. Cox was thoroughly examined by a Baylor orthopedic specialist that found no ACL damage. Lauren practiced with the team in the summer wearing a knee brace and by the start of September she did not wear a brace and had fully recovered. There was never a discussion or conversation about her red-shirting. I am not aware of any discussion involving Juicy Landrum.

Odyssey Sims tore her ACL her Senior year at Irving MacArthur playing in a playoff game in late February. That fall she enrolled at Baylor and ended up being the National Freshman of the year. On the other hand it took three operations and over two and a half years for Kristy Wallace to fully recover from her initial ACL surgery. Griner's Freshman year another Freshman, Washington was a starter and had a great future, she tore her ACL and never fully recovered from it. Players are different in their ACL recovery, an orthopedic specialist in Dallas told me about 75% of female athletes can reach a total recovery, some don't get close to that.

That was about 10 years ago, I'm sure the surgery process has improved. Any physicians out there, comments.

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LTBear19

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5:10a, 9/30/25

A very interesting "What If" scenario, indeed.

Had Lauren and Juicy both redshirted (in what eventually ended up being the lost 2020 Covid Season), we would have likely been the favorite to win it all in 2021.

On top of that, they both would have received an extra Covid Year, and could have played in 2022 as well.

With NIL beginning in 2022, you might have seen a situation play out where both Juicy and Lauren come back for a 6th year.

Under that scenario (especially had we made that 2021 Final 4 or actually won it all), Kim might not have left (at least not right away).

Of course, Lauren sitting out could have also impacted the decisions of others during that same timeframe, such as Nalyssa, Didi, Egbo, Tea Cooper, and Carrington.

But assuming it played out that way, that single decision likely creates a very interesting "butterfly effect" for the program.

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BUVA

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8:54a, 9/30/25

I think Lauren sat out most, if not all, non-con games her senior year. Didn't she have a toe issue, as well?.

Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to. ~ Mark Twain

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IowaBear

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9:01a, 9/30/25

Recovery time is solely dependent on the athlete. I can speak on that as I work with athletes for a living. Each athlete reacts differently. Woman do tend to take longer than men to recover.
We had a kid from a big time HS in Iowa tear his ACL week 2 of the 22 season. He started at short stop spring/summer of 23. It truly depends on the athlete

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Dcheetah

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In reply to IowaBear • 7:49p, 9/30/25

Confirming this comment, I had a young girl on a soccer team that I coached. She got a spiral fracture through her femur in the fall and was projected to have about a one and a half year recovery timeframe or longer. Shestarted for me that next spring roughly 6 months later. It was an incredible return to play and I was hesitant to play her, but she was released by Ortho and she played great with no further injury. Think we're all just wired a little differently.

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Task Force 2015

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9:34p, 9/30/25

I would think that JuJu will take her time.Much more than returning to play for USC is involved.She is an all American who already has at least one national commercial.If she returns fully rehabilitated a lucrative career awaits.

LTBear19

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9:38p, 9/30/25

I think people are always looking for the Next Big Thing.

While JuJu is a very good player, I don't see her moving the needle as much as many believe she will.

Caitlyn Clark is unique, in that she brings that WOW factor to the Women's game.

You have to go back to Sheryl Swoopes to really see a player impact the game in the manner she has.

Juju will likely be similar to Paige - assuming she can stay healthy after she recovers - great player, but not necessarily a generational talent like the 2 players mentioned above.

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