USC star sophomore JuJu Watkins suffered a serious injury in the No. 1-seed Trojans’ second-round March Madness win over No. 9-seed Mississippi State on Monday, putting a dismal stamp on the final day of the 2024/25 NCAA tournament's first weekend.

After taking contact from two defenders midway through the first quarter, a visibly distraught Watkins crumbled to the court with a season-ending ACL tear in her right knee. The season's second-leading Division I scorer will soon undergo surgery before beginning rehabilitation.

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"I'd be lying if I told you I wasn’t rattled seeing JuJu lying on the floor and crying," said USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb afterwards. "This is a human game, so I obviously tried my best to be what I need to be for the team, but internally it’s a lot."

The arena mirrored Gottlieb's reaction, a testament to Watkins's impact on the USC community.

"You cannot tell me the energy of that crowd, and how sort of angry they were with the other team, and how much fire they showed for our team, is so much about what JuJu has given to this arena, to this program, to the city," added Gottlieb. "And you just want to give it all back."

A National Player of the Year frontrunner, Watkins’s injury will reverberate throughout USC’s tournament run, as the Trojans stare down a potential Elite Eight rematch with surging No. 2-seed UConn.

Trojans step up after Watkins injury

After seeing their teammate carried off the court, USC regrouped in a big way, converting their early 13-2 lead into a 96-59 blowout victory over the Bulldogs to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16.

In light of the Watkins injury, star transfer forward Kiki Iriafen took charge, putting up a season-high 36 points and nearly notching a double-double by adding nine rebounds to her stat sheet.

Also taking up Watkins' mantle were a pair of freshmen guards, Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel, who came off the bench to add 18 and 13 points, respectively.

The added emotional tenacity the Trojans displayed was not lost on Gottlieb, who thanked her team in a post-game locker room address.

"I will never forget this game for as long as I live," the USC coach told her players. "You guys did something really special today."

"I have to say it with a calm face and tell you how incredibly proud I am of the way you stepped up for one another...it was a tidal wave of a team."

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Top NCAA tournament seeds dominate Sweet 16 berths

Ultimately, losing Watkins is a devastating blow not just to USC, but to college basketball at large, radically reshaping the competitive landscape as March Madness gears up for next weekend's Sweet 16 round.

Monday's final buzzer officially set that field, locking in every team seeded No. 3 and above, plus one No. 4 seed and a trio of No. 5 seeds.

In a day void of upsets, seven of Monday's games averaged a wide 28-point margin of victory. The lone outlier was Maryland's bombshell victory, as the Terps booked their Sweet 16 spot in an instant classic game against No. 5-seed Alabama.

After the Terrapins rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit to push the game into overtime, Tide fifth-year guard Sarah Ashlee Barker forced double-overtime with a trio of free throws.

Though the Terps ultimately emerged with the 111-108 victory, Barker set records, notching a career-high 45 points — the most by any SEC athlete and the fourth-most by any Division I player in March Madness history.

"It didn't go our way but, at the end of the day, I'm gonna walk out and hold [my] head high," said Barker about the game that capped her NCAA career. "If you're a women's basketball fan, or anybody that loves basketball, I think that every single person could say that that was one of the best games they've ever watched."

With games between the NCAA's best stacking next weekend's Sweet 16 slate, this year's March Madness tournament is could see even more blockbuster clashes.

The first time Washington Spirit midfielder Croix Bethune experienced an NWSL playoff game at DC's "Rowdy Audi" Field, it was from the sidelines. The promising young star had experienced a major setback, injuring her MCL while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at nearby Nationals Park — just weeks after winning Olympic gold with the USWNT. "

"Sitting in the stands watching the game wasn't ideal," she told JWS this week. "But it was still very fun and very cool, just to have that whole experience, seeing Audi full and rowdy and the fans just very excited."

Bethune's changing fortunes — she'd go on to win both 2024 Rookie of the Year and Midfielder of the Year despite her late-August season-ending injury — underlined a 2024 season of extremes for the Spirit. Washington finished second in the NWSL standings, entering the postseason confident before ultimately ceding the championship game to Shield-winners Orlando.

This year, the club is hoping to finish the job, once again locked into second place and hunting the franchise's second NWSL title. And for Bethune and her teammates, the sense of deja vu is palpable.

The Spirit emerges from a season of constant change

The Spirit underwent their second midseason coaching change in two years this past June, when manager Jonatan Giraldez left to take over fellow Michele Kang-owned club, France's OL Lyonnes. Adrián González — last season's interim coach — reclaimed the team's top leadership role, guiding the Spirit to their second straight No. 2 finish in a surprising show of consistency for a club undergoing significant change.

"Things happen, not everything is permanent," Bethune said plainly, commenting on the staffing changes "I learned this in my college recruiting process: You don't pick a school for the coach, because the coach can always move."

And while Washington added significant depth over the course of 2025 — namely bringing on international standouts like Italy's Sofia Cantore and Nigeria's Gift Monday — the roster has struggled to overcome lingering injuries and absences. Bethune officially returned to play in April, registering two goals and two assists through 20 regular-season games, but overall availability has continued to plague the squad despite the training staff's best efforts.

Captain Andi Sullivan and starting outside back Casey Krueger are currently both on maternity leave. And superstar Trinity Rodman remains questionable after a freak knock to the knee in late October — two months after originally returning from a lengthy back injury.

Bethune misses NWSL Decision Day as injury issues take a toll

Last Sunday's Decision Day loss to the eliminated Utah Royals saw even more attrition, with impact players Leicy Santos, Gift Monday, and Rose Kouassi all left off the gameday roster. Even Bethune missed Sunday's regular-season finale with a thigh injury, though she's now listed as available after training alongside club medical staff this week.

This is when experience facing adversity comes in handy for the 24-year-old. "When I'm playing, I feel like I can see everything, but when you're not playing, you can really see everything," she said, stressing the perspective she's gained from sitting on the sidelines. "Just seeing how the game should flow, or how it is flowing."

Bethune has also learned to avoid pushing her body too hard if she's not feeling 100%, a mantra that can be both frustrating and, at times, liberating.

"I feel like, over the years, I've done very well at understanding when my body is telling me something, and listening to that," she said.

Returning from injury is difficult for any player, but particularly for those as creative on the pitch as Bethune. Known for confidence on the ball, audacious passing vision in the midfield, and the ability to turn towards goal herself if she senses weakness, the Georgia grad became a household name last year thanks to a free-wheeling partnership with fellow USWNT standout Rodman.

It took some time for Bethune to re-find her footing this season, learning how to not overthink exactly what makes her such a special player.

"Feeling like myself is just feeling like Croix Bethune," she said. "Doing what I do — momentum, rhythm, cheekiness, just feeling smooth and calm in the game."

Bethune looks to lean on Spirit culture ahead of quarterfinal test

Shaky availability — and the related threat of yet again falling short of the NWSL title — still looms over the Spirit as they head into this weekend's quarterfinal matchup against an extra-motivated Racing Louisville. But Bethune thinks the Spirit can lean on their depth for that creative spark, as injured players inch closer to a healthy return with every passing day.

"We're big on our culture," she explained. "The culture that we have off the field, within the team, is very strong. And when we incorporate the staff and the coaches, we're all on the same page."

Even without a full-strength roster, the Spirit have shown an ability to bend without breaking, riding the ups and downs of a topsy-turvy season without slipping from the league's top ranks. And that level of togetherness can be difficult to derail.

"Versatility, being close — we have a lot of options," Bethune said of her team's postseason strategy. "We have a lot of people that can play a lot of different positions."

"Once we get that rhythm," she added, "it's pretty scary for the defense."

The two newest PWHL teams are re-introducing themselves this week, as the third-year league officially revealed the team names and branding for 2025/26 expansion sides Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes on Thursday.

"The Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes are bold, distinctive, and true to who we are as a league," PWHL EVP of business operations Amy Scheer said in a league statement. "Each team identity is deeply connected to its home — Seattle draws inspiration from the waterways that shape its landscape, and Vancouver from its abundance of unique wildlife."

While the Torrent's letter "S" evokes Seattle's waterways, Vancouver's branding utilizes a local city bird — the "fiercely protective Common Goldeneye" — for "its speed, strength, and precision in flight."

"The Goldeneyes name is powerful, bold, and tough," said Vancouver forward and local product Jenn Gardiner. "This identity is a perfect reflection of who we are, where we come from, and that we will be relentless to play against every single night."

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While the PWHL always planned to unveil the expansion sides' individual identities ahead of the 2025/26 season, both teams will still follow suit from the league's inaugural year by sporting generic PWHL branding throughout their debut campaigns.

In what Scheer calls "the start of an incredible Pacific Northwest rivalry," both the visiting Seattle Torrent and host Vancouver Goldeneyes will make their PWHL debuts against each other when the puck drops on the league's third season on Friday, November 21st.

How to purchase Seattle Torrent and Vancouver Goldeneyes merch

While the Torrent and Goldeneyes will don generic jerseys this season, fully branded merchandise for the 2025/26 PWHL expansion teams hit the league's online shop for fans to purchase on Thursday.

New offseason league Project B is raising more than eyebrows, with the international upstart reportedly far exceeding WNBA salaries as it builds out its pro women's basketball roster ahead of a planned 2026 debut.

According to Front Office Sports (FOS), Project B is offering athletes like inaugural signee Nneka Ogwumike multimillion dollar salaries, with indications that multi-year deals could see paydays reach upwards of eight figures.

Project B also gave the Seattle Storm star equity in the venture, putting WNBA stakeholders on edge as CBA negotiations continue to simmer Stateside.

Sources also reportedly told FOS that the budding league has already signed additional WNBA players.

While the winter league's F1-style tournament structure doesn't directly compete with the WNBA calendar, history shows that players will sometimes de-prioritized domestic league play if offered enough money to compete overseas.

One of the most notable instances of this occurred when now-retired superstar Diana Taurasi sat out the entire 2015 WNBA season after top EuroLeague side UMMC Ekaterinburg paid her $1.5 million to forgo that summer's competition.

Other offseason leagues are also making financial inroads that supersede the WNBA's current salary offerings, with 54 WNBA players set to take the Unrivaled 3×3 court in the winter league's 2026 season in January — including equity-holder Paige Bueckers.

Even more, big names like four-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, 2024 Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, 2024 champion Sabrina Ionescu, and two-time All-Star Angel Reese opted out of joining the 2026 Unrivaled season, leaving some speculating that seven-figure deals could see those stars instead eyeing a jump to Project B.

Ultimately, the reports of additional options for lucrative offseason contracts only increases the drama surrounding the US league's ongoing CBA negotiations, putting even more pressure on the WNBA to offer an attractive financial agreement to its athletes.

Despite missing the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season due to injury, USC superstar JuJu Watkins is staying busy, with the junior guard buying into 2026 NWSL expansion side Boston Legacy FC's investment group this week.

Besides padding her portfolio, the move also sees Watkins make history as the first-ever NCAA athlete to actively invest in a professional women's sports franchise.

"Boston Legacy FC is creating a space for women to achieve, lead, and inspire others at the highest level," Watkins said in a Thursday club press release. "I'm proud to be part of the movement pushing women's sports forward."

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The 20-year-old reigning Naismith Player of the Year now joins a Boston Legacy investment core that includes the likes of Indiana Fever center Aliyah Boston and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as well as three-time Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast Aly Raisman and actor Elizabeth Banks.

"JuJu's investment marks a groundbreaking moment for women's sports and the power of NIL," said Legacy owner Jennifer Epstein. "She's showing that today's student-athletes aren't just building their own brands — they're shaping the future of the game."

How to become a part of Boston Legacy FC history

Fans looking to take part in NWSL history can snag seats to the first-ever Boston Legacy match at 12:30 PM ET on Saturday, March 14, 2026.

Tickets to the expansion club's debut are currently on sale at BostonLegacyFC.com.