The Big Lead

Who will step up for USC basketball after JuJu Watkins injury?

Without their go-to superstar, the Trojans need someone to fill Watkins' massive void.

By Matt Reed

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket past Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Jerkaila Jordan (2) during the first quieter of an NCAA Tournament second round game at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket past Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Jerkaila Jordan (2) during the first quieter of an NCAA Tournament second round game at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images
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The NCAA Women's Tournament saw one of the biggest names in the game go down with a terrible injury Monday night, and without JuJu Watkins the USC Trojans' title hopes certainly took a significant dip in the Second Round.

RELATED: Update on USC star JuJu Watkins' knee injury

Watkins has been an elite talent in her sophomore season prior to suffering an ACL tear during the tournament, including winning Big Ten Player of the Year and being named a First-Team All-American.

The Trojans still managed to cruise past Mississippi State on Monday after Watkins left early in the game, and it might be time for people to get familiar with Kiki Iriafen because she single-handedly carried the weight of the team on offense during the blowout win.

Iriafen is about to be thrust into a role that she's actually very familiar with after boasting an impressive 18 points per game this season, which was second on the Trojans to Watkins. Not to mention the fact that she's a senior that's been with USC for her entire career and this could be her last opportunity to make a deep run in the tournament.

There's no doubt that Watkins is irreplaceable in the Trojans lineup after solidifying herself as one of the top players in the women's game these past two seasons, but Inafen can certainly keep USC in games and take them over.

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