LOS ANGELES, CA – USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins said she is “continuing to get stronger and be ready to play” for the upcoming season.
Watkins spoke to reporters Monday, June 29 as the Trojans are in the midst of its summer camp. While neither Watkins nor USC provided an official status report, or take questions about the star guard’s status, Watkins did say she has been able to participate in practices and scrimmages as she continues her journey back to playing for the Trojans.
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“I feel great. Really blessed to just be here, getting feeling back to myself, and being able to practice with the team,” she said. “It’s just been a long time coming. I’ve just been working out, grinding every day so that I could be in this position, so to see all that hard work kind of pay off right now, it’s really fulfilling.”
More: JuJu Watkins has new role as USC women eye run with Jazzy Davidson
Watkins missed the entire 2025-26 season as she recovered from a torn ACL she suffered in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, ending the campaign in which she was named National Player of the Year. Now more than 14 months later, the Trojans are getting to see their star participate.
“I’m able to say that it is amazing to be coaching a basketball team with JuJu Watkins back on the court,” said coach Lindsay Gottlieb. “Now she’s back on the court, and it’s just a beautiful thing to see.”
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There has been incremental progress in her return to the court. At the Team USA basketball camp in April, she said she was “getting closer to the finish line” in her recovery, participating in just shooting drills as she was only a “couple more months” removed from doing full on-court activities. Gottlieb told USA TODAY Sports in May that Watkins was in a “great place physically” and was following guidance from trainers in terms of what she was allowed to do.
Every injury is different, but the recovery timeline for a torn ACL typically ranges anywhere from 8-12 months. A similar instance was when Paige Bueckers tore her ACL in 2022, and was cleared a year later.
Given the timing of Watkins injury in March 2025, there was a possibility she could have returned late into the past season, but opted to sit out the entire year for recovery. She was with the team for the majority of the campaign, on the bench during games.
During that time, she said patience was a key in getting back to full strength, and even noted Bueckers was “constantly checking up” and encouraging her. Now after working back to play again, Gottlieb said Watkins has taken major steps not just in her play on the court, but her overall athleticism.
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“Watch out in terms of her physical makeup,” Gottlieb said. “She’s stronger, faster, in her best shape ever.”
Even with another top recruit in Jazzy Davidson, USC greatly missed their star last season. The Trojans went 18-14 — its fewest wins since 2021-22 — and were eliminated in the second round of March Madness after back-to-back trips to the Elite Eight. USC is still aiming for its first Final Four trip since 1986.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After 14 months, JuJu Watkins is back — and looks stronger than ever
