The No. 1 seed USC Trojans cruised to the Sweet 16 on Monday with an easy victory over the No. 9 Mississippi State Bulldogs. The win felt almost like a footnote.
Trojans guard JuJu Watkins was carried off the court early in the game with an apparent right knee injury. She did not return to the game and the team announced afterward that she sustained a season-ending injury and will undergo surgery. A leading contender for national player of the year, the sophomore is the engine of this roster, the core of its championship hopes and a star with unique gravitational pull. Any injury to Watkins is a major blow to USC. It represents just as much of one to college basketball as a whole.
