Sports
Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark send prayers to JuJu Watkins after USC star's heartbreaking injury
JuJu Watkins has taken the college basketball world by storm. But, the Southern California guard suffered a devastating, season-ending knee injury during a second-round game in the NCAA women’s tournament on Monday.
Watkins, 19, was carried off the court in the first quarter of USC’s eventual victory over Mississippi State. ESPN, citing sources, later reported that Watkins tore her right ACL and would miss the remainder of the tournament. A team spokesperson confirmed plans to have the sophomore undergo surgery and then start rehabilitation.
The heartbreaking moment sparked a considerable amount of reaction across the sports world, with WNBA star Angel Reese being among those who shared a message of support to Watkins.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) looks to pass the ball against the Las Vegas Aces during the first half at Wintrust Arena. (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)
“Prayers for Juju,” Reese wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, along with a sad-face and praying hands emoji.
Caitlin Clark, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, also shared a message of support for Watkins. “Sending all my thoughts and prayers to JuJu. Kid will come back stronger than ever,” Clark wrote on X.
Watkins was fouled as she drove to the basket on a fast break around five minutes into Monday’s game. Her right knee appeared to buckle on the play, which caused her to fall onto the hardwood. She remained on the floor for well over a minute and was in visible pain as she grabbed her knee.
Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) controls the ball against Mississippi State guard Jerkaila Jordan (2) during the first half in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
The Trojans’ 96-59 win on Monday secured a spot in the Sweet 16, but losing Waktins will likely have a drastic impact on the tournament’s landscape. USC entered March Madness with a top seed as the program eyed a potential run to a national title.
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Watkins put together an outstanding freshman campaign during the 2023-24 season, and her impressive performance continued this year. The Los Angeles native averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists over 33 games this season.
Southern California guard JuJu Watkins (12) reacts on the floor after an injury during the first half against Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Monday, March 24, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
Watkins averaged 27.1 points per game during her freshman year. Clark, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer across men’s and women’s basketball, is the only player to average more points than Watkins that season.
Watkins earned Big Ten Player of the Year honors and was a unanimous first-team All-American for a second consecutive year. USC will meet No. 5 Kansas State in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Spokane, Washington.
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Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts reportedly made a decision on whether he would attend the team’s Super Bowl celebration at the White House with President Donald Trump on Monday.
Hurts will not attend due to “scheduling conflicts,” Fox News confirmed.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts speaks to the media after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Feb. 9, 2025. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
The word of Hurts’ decision came hours before the celebration was set to take place. Hurts raised eyebrows last week when he dodged a question on the red carpet for the Time100 Gala about attending the celebration.
Hurts didn’t give a glowing review of the president’s decision to attend Super Bowl LIX, which saw Philadelphia defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22.
“He’s welcome to do what he wants,” Hurts said in February.
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Honoree Jalen Hurts attends the Time100 Gala, celebrating the 100 most influential people in the world, at Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 24, 2025, in New York. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)
Meanwhile, running back Saquon Barkley was seen with Trump at his golf course in New Jersey on Sunday. He rode back to Washington on Air Force One with the president.
Barkley pushed back on the criticism he received on social media for his interactions with Trump.
“lol some people are really upset cause I played golfed and flew to the White House with the PRESIDENT,” Barkley wrote on X. “Maybe I just respect the office, not a hard concept to understand. Just golfed with Obama not too long ago… and look forward to finishing my round with Trump ! Now ya get out my mentions with all this politics and have amazing day.”
President Donald Trump talks to Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley before boarding Air Force One at Morristown Municipal Airport, Sunday, April 27, 2025, in New Jersey. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Eagles team owner Jeffrey Lurie and head coach Nick Sirianni have both expressed their excitement to head to the White House.
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With a 12-2 win over Loyola on Saturday, Venice’s baseball team improved to 21-1 and is positioning itself for a high seeding in the City Section Open Division playoffs.
While the winner of the West Valley League, either Birmingham or El Camino Real, is the likely No. 1 seed, Venice has a good argument to be right behind. The Gondoliers are 14-0 in the Western League and own wins over Valley Mission League leader Sun Valley Poly and have a win over El Segundo, which is 17-6-1.
Coach Kevin Brockway has a senior-dominated team that includes Noel Moreno, who is 8-1 with an 0.58 ERA. Sophomore Jace Lindblom is 5-0 and senior Canon King is 6-0. Having three quality pitchers is a must to win a City Open Division title.
King leads the team in hitting with 30 hits. Venice has six games left on its regular-season schedule, with matchups against San Fernando and San Pedro set to be the toughest.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
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Shedeur Sanders was not the only person in Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders’ household to have a significant fall during the NFL Draft over the weekend.
Shilo Sanders, the defensive back who also played for the Colorado Buffaloes, failed to be selected at all. He was a bit of a long shot to be drafted, and experts predicted he would become an undrafted free agent once the event wrapped up on Saturday.
Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
Sanders did find a time after the seven rounds finished. He signed a deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will now embark on a quest to make the 53-man roster before summer is over.
He said on Saturday afternoon that he needed to fire his father as his agent.
“Dad was our agent, but that hasn’t been working out too good,” he said during a Twitch livestream. “So today I had to sign with an agent. So, we’re going to see what happens.”
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Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (Dylan Widger-Imagn Images)
Sanders transferred to Colorado once his father took over as the head coach of the Buffaloes. He initially went to South Carolina.
He played in 21 games for Colorado between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He had 137 tackles, one interception and one sack during his career. The lone interception was returned for a touchdown.
Sanders making the roster will be a tough journey.
Colorado Buffaloes safety Shilo Sanders (Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)
Tampa Bay selected cornerbacks Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish in the draft. The team already has Zyon McCollum, Jamel Dean, Josh Hayes, Tyreek Funderburk and Bryce Hall as corners; Antoine Winfield Jr., Christian Izien, Kaevon Merriweather and Marcus Banks are listed as safeties.
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