PHOENIX — USC guard JuJu Watkins said she’s “getting closer to the finish line” in her recovery.
Watkins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee during the second round of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament last March, cutting short her National Player of the Year season and sidelining her for the entire 2025-26 season. Watkins didn’t provide an exact timeline for her return, but 20-year-old said she’s only “couple more months” removed from returning to full on-court activities.
“I’ll be ready for next season, so that’s all I matters,” Watkins said Friday at Team USA basketball camp in Phoenix, where she’s one of two college players on the camp roster, alongside Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes.
Watkins was limited to shooting drills during Team USA’s training camp. She put up some shots with Blakes and observed from the sidelines as players practiced plays and rotations. Although she would “love to be out there participating with everyone else to the best of (her) ability,” Watkins said she’s just thankful to be included.
“I’m really fortunate because this is a big goal of mine, so to still be able to be in the conversation, be in the rooms with so many great players… it’s very rewarding,” Watkins said. “To be here and be in this space … reminded me to continue to stick with it.”
Sue Bird, who serves as the Managing Director of the USA Women’s National Team, said Watkins has looked “great” from what she’s seen during camp. Bird said the end of the recovery process is normally the hardest for a player because “you’re ready but you still have to kind of take your time with it.”
“Obviously tearing your ACL as a young player is not fun, but I can speak firsthand,” said Bird, who suffered an ACL tear eight games into her freshman season at UConn in 1998. “You do learn a lot from the (recovery) experience and just in talking to her you can see she’s in a really settled place, a really calm place. I think (she’s) ready to get back on the court. I’m sure she’s itching to do that … I know she’ll have a great summer and then hopefully we see back on the court next year.”
Watkins said the recovery process has been filled with “many ups and downs,” but she said she’s walked away with a new perspective and greater patience, which will only benefit her game eons he returns to the court.
“So many things I want to do, so many games I’m excited for, so I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to come back and play,” Watkins said. “I learned a lot of things, a lot of ways we can improve, a lot of things (USC) does well. … Just being able to see things from a different perspective has definitely helped.”
Watkins also attended Team USA’s training camp in December in Durham, North Carolina.
“Everybody’s been really great. They’ve made me feel very welcome and I’m very grateful for that,” Watkins said. “And yeah, I’m just really having fun, enjoying my time here.”
Reach USA TODAY National Women’s Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.
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