USC star JuJu Watkins has been in rehabilitation from an ACL tear sustained during last season’s NCAA Tournament. Watkins announced in September that she would not participate in the 2025-2026 season to focus on her recovery and rehabilitation.
Despite being injured, Watkins was invited to North Carolina for Team USA’s camp on Dec. 11 & 12 in preparation for the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup.
JuJu Watkins Details ACL Rehab Process
During a segment of the “Ballers Magazine” show last week, Watkins detailed her rehabilitation process so far and the progress made in preparation to restart basketball training.
“Honestly, just taking it one day at a time,” Watkins said. “Right now, I’m finally able to start working out a little bit, that’s been good. Starting to pick up the ball a little bit more. So I’m grateful for that. But honestly, just being there for my team, attacking rehab every day. Mostly just shooting, handles, whatever I can do, I’ve been trying to maximize that.”
Watkins announced that she would not play during the current season in September, just before the college basketball season tipped off, and she revealed why she decided to sit the season out and made the announcement so late.
“I tried to hold it off as much as possible, but it is what it is,” Watkins said. “I just had to come to terms with kinda where I was at. I mean, it sucked, but everything happens for a reason.”
Watkins further revealed her positive interaction with Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers at the Team USA camp, who also sat out a year of her college basketball career at UConn with a torn ACL and has been guiding the USC star through her rehab process.
Kara Lawson Explains Watkins Team USA Decision
During an interview with the Associated Press last week, Team USA coach Kara Lawson detailed why it was essential to have Watkins in the camp despite her ACL injury.
“We wanted her here I think you can see that there’s a great deal of talent there, and that’s somebody that is going to be in the conversation, obviously, in the future,” Lawson said.
“We were really intentional about inviting her here and having her be a part of it. I think there’s great value in having her observe and be around the group, and then just the connectivity,” Lawson added.
Without Watkins, USC has managed a 7-2 start behind the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, Jazzy Davidson, and Trojans fans will have to wait for the much-anticipated link-up between their two talented stars.
