Many people were excited about Juju Watkins from the start. From the moment she stepped into the USC campus, she was the one who brought the program back to the summit. This season, she was a star power player in women's college basketball, inspired by Kate Linklark.
It weighed quite a bit on anyone's shoulders, but she handled it well. She flourished under that responsibility and blossomed in the spotlight.
However, last weekend, the women's college basketball biggest star was carried after falling to the court in tears of the season-ending ACL. Her absence has left USC fans stunned, and the world of women's college basketball has become restless.
Some kind words for Juju Watkins pic.twitter.com/8symkuoucu
-espnw (@espnw) March 25, 2025
Salt in the wound? Commercials featuring Watkins will continue to play during the NCAA tournament. She is now the biggest star in the women's college hoops and is drawing red carpet-like votes from celebrities in her game at Gallen Center. That reception would have been booming in the last four trips or national championships, as an undeniable Hollywood storyline.
Questions bubbled up while prayers were raining in Los Angeles for Watkins' recovery: What now? Who is now?
That's a fair question. And when Clark set out for the WNBA, it mirrors the women's basketball in the refrain that was repeatedly asked after last season. Have her huge fans and millions of viewers on record watching her play in Iowa for the 2024-25 college season?
No one expected this season's tournament to match last season's record viewers, but progress cannot be measured by annual profit alone. And while no one expected that anyone would get quite a bit of Clark Mania's fever pitch before the season, the trend continues in one direction: upwards.
In the first two rounds of the tournament there was no Cinderella, major confusion, and Clark. They were light on the dramatic plays they thought were necessary to attract audiences. Still, numbers don't lie. The first two rounds are ranked second in tournament history, 43% higher than 2023.
Like Clark, the game still shows momentum behind her. With Watkins missing in the rest of this tournament, there's no reason to think that it's not strong enough to continue as it's so big that it's close.
Because this question is nothing new.
Many forget that Page Bookers did the same thing before Clark attracted the country. The new student UConn star won the National Player of the Year in 2021, becoming an early beloved man of name, image and caricature. She then tore her ACL, leaving questions about how the sport endures without the new genius who missed the entire season and filled the arena.
Clark and Angel Reese appeared, and the voids brought even more interest in the game, pushing the sport into a higher vision, culminating in one of the most epic showdowns in tournament history. Last season, South Carolina's undefeated campaign was led by coach Dawn Staley, among the sport's most influential figures. The Gamecock elicited viewers' ratings that were tested by Clark's stunning displays and warped the high standards of 2023.
When Bueckers came out, Clark and Reese replied. After Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu went to the WNBA, Booker did the same. Fans were also equally skeptical of the lack of star power when Maya Moore graduated from UConn.
Women's games have proven again and again that it produces, especially in these last few seasons. Celebrities will appear and captivate basketball fans.
Perhaps this answer is less obvious than a week ago when the nation's best players were leading a revived program with national follow-up and immediate recognition on a must-see journey.
Like the reactions of Clark, Moore and others, the coaches were bothered at the same time trying to stop them, but were grateful for what they did for the game. Sometimes it's easy to see the growth from within.
If you have a coach who can prove the value of a player and his impact on the sport, like Watkins, then it's Geno Auriemma from UConn. He has seen more phenoms than anyone else. Many were so loved that they could mention just by their name (or initials): Sue, Dee, Maya, Stewie.
As the ESPN broadcast concluded coverage from a second round victory after the second victory of UCONN on Monday, Aurienma sat courtside for an interview. He was asked to answer immediately, so the broadcast could bounce back to the USC-Mississippi match, which began on the West Coast.
“Yeah, man, let me get off now and go to her. I want to see her play,” Aurienma said with a smile. “Juju is coming. Give me a Juju!
Jeno counts down the broadcast and throws it at Juju and tells her to “take over” >>> https://t.co/ermnjnrp5d pic.twitter.com/a2sto3eh2a
– Tyler Deluca (@tylerdeluca) March 25, 2025
Coaches respect great players. Games respect the game. (If only the latter had mercy on the knee.)
So, what's next? Who is it now?
That's what the next two weeks will decide. But if the past teaches us anything, that's what the women's tournament offers. The most elite talent is still in the game. All No. 1 seeds (UCLA, South Carolina, USC, Texas), 2 seeds (UCONN, NC STATE, DUKE, TCU), and 3 seeds (Notre Dame, LSU, North Carolina, Oklahoma) are standing there. Spotlight is trained at Bueckers and has taught us the previous tournaments, making even casual viewers a new fan of the best players in the game. Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame, Fraughe Johnson of LSU and Lauren Betts of UCLA have been exemplary throughout the season, with new young players poised to surprise us.
The show continues in Spokane and Birmingham. The net will be cut off. New stars are created and crowned, with more familiar stars carrying heavy loads.
USC without Watkins is not the same as it once was, nor is it a tournament without Watkins. But the greatest testimony of Watkins' greatness and the power of the stars is that the sport she is building continues to grow, even when she is not there.
(Photo: Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
