The USC Trojans were dealt what certainly feels like a season-defining blow on Monday with star guard JuJu Watkins suffering a season-ending ACL tear. After seeing Watkins writhing in pain on the ground holding her knee, college basketball fans feared this doomsday outcome. Now that it has come, it's hard for Trojans fans not to be pessimistic.
Sure, the Trojans were one of, if not the favorites to win the NCAA Tournament, but that was with Watkins, their best player, playing a huge role. Watkins averaged 23.9 points per game in the regular season and had 22 points along with eight rebounds in USC's first-round win over the UNC Greensboro Spartans. She was one three-pointer away from scoring as many points as the Spartans managed to score all day.
Now, without Watkins, it's hard to expect much from this Trojans team. With that in mind, it would've been understandable for Trojans players to be a bit pessimistic when talking about life without Watkins postgame. Star forward Kiki Iriafen wound up taking the opposite approach, however, which is very admirable.
"We didn't want to let her down," Iriafen told ESPN's Holly Rowe. "We just want to keep dancing, so whatever it takes is what I wanted to do. I think it just shows our toughness."
Trojans want to pull off inspiring NCAA Tournament win for injured JuJu Watkins
Iriafen wants to win it for JuJu. She and her teammates do not want to let the star guard down. Trojans fans can't help but rally behind Iriafen and hope for the best.
Is this realistic? Perhaps not. The Trojans won their game in blowout fashion on Monday despite Watkins only playing in five minutes of the contest, but that was against the No. 9-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs. Games will only get harder from here, and let's not forget that No. 2 UConn is in their region. With how dominant the Huskies have looked, how many people will realistically pick the Trojans to punch their ticket to the Final Four?
For the Trojans to make their deep run, Iriafen, in particular, is going to have to step up. She was their second-leading scorer in the regular season, averaging 18.6 points per game to go along with 8.6 rebounds. She was able to step up in a big way on Monday, racking up 36 points and nine rebounds in the victory, but again, that was against a No. 9 seed in the Round of 32.
The odds are against the Trojans, but they're playing for Watkins. They seem as motivated as ever to keep dancing, and with the talent that they have even without Watkins, it'd be foolish to count them completely out.