JuJu Watkins will not be stepping onto the college hardwood for USC during the 2025–26 season. The California superstar, one of the faces of the NCAA women’s basketball renaissance, has announced that she will put her career on hold to recover from a major knee injury: the all-too-familiar torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
A difficult decision, but likely one of the most important of her journey.
The news, confirmed by The Next Hoops and others—along with Watkins herself—landed like a thunderclap across the NCAA landscape. Watkins is not a role player, nor merely a promising prospect: by her sophomore year, she had already become the Trojans’ primary offensive engine, the natural finalist for every major award, and was already being compared to icons such as Diana Taurasi and Sabrina Ionescu. Yet at just 20 years old, she has chosen to stop. Or rather, to rebuild.
A Serious Injury, A Rational Decision
During the most recent NCAA Tournament, JuJu Watkins ended her season in pain. The medical diagnosis soon followed: damaged ACL, unstable knee, and a high risk of re-injury. Returning too soon could have meant another setback—or even irreversible consequences.
USC fully supported the decision. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb made it clear: “Her health comes first. She remains a leader, even from the bench.”
This choice, though forced by injury, is also a strategic one. Watkins is not sacrificing a season—she is protecting everything that comes after it.
JuJu Watkins’ Redshirt Season: More Than a Break, It’s Preparation for the WNBA
Missing an entire college season may seem concerning at first glance. But at this stage, what does she still have left to prove in the NCAA?
- She dominated the stat sheets (23.9 points per game).
- She won—or came close to winning—every major individual award.
- She put USC back on the national map.
Playing another season would have served only one goal: chasing a hypothetical team championship. But with a still-young roster around her, nothing guaranteed that outcome. Worse yet, competing while limited and unable to carry the team as she once did could have damaged her image and lowered her value ahead of the WNBA Draft.
On the contrary, a redshirt season offers a unique opportunity to prepare for professional basketball. An entire year dedicated to rehabilitation, strength training, and technical development away from competition. No pressure tied to immediate results, but with the constant attention of a public eagerly awaiting her return.
Protecting Her Body, Preserving Her Future
ACL injuries do not forgive recklessness. Many WNBA players—Elena Delle Donne, Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier, among others—know how poor injury management can jeopardize an entire career.
Watkins is thinking ahead. She refuses the trap of “coming back out of pride.” She chooses patience. And in that decision lies the possibility of the best outcome.
Remaining an Icon, Even Without Playing
A “redshirt season” does not mean disappearing. JuJu Watkins is not just a basketball player—she is a brand, an identity, a face.
Even without stepping onto the court, she will remain present:
- Through media appearances and NIL partnerships.
- Through her presence in the USC locker room as a mentor to the next generation.
- Through the story of her comeback, which is already being written (hopefully managed better than the Derrick Rose case).
In an era where female athletes are no longer defined solely by their performances, Watkins will have to transform her absence into a compelling narrative.
A Controlled Risk, Heightened Expectations
Of course, this decision comes with uncertainties. She will have to deal with doubt, distance from competition, and the solitude of rehabilitation. But if she returns at full strength—and that is the goal—she will enter the WNBA not merely as a rookie, but as the long-awaited prodigy, an already established personality.
The NCAA loses one of its biggest attractions. But women’s basketball may gain in the long run: the career of an elite athlete is not built solely in the heat of competition, but also through mastering time itself.
What some will see as an absence is, in reality, a period of construction.
JuJu Watkins will not play in 2025–26. Yet she is still moving forward. She is not stepping away—she is preparing.
