For a long stretch after her ACL tear, Juju Watkins’ phone became part of the recovery process. Among the people checking in regularly was Paige Bueckers, who had been through the same injury herself and knew what the silence after a season-ending diagnosis can do to a player’s head. And when it comes to supporting players who are undergoing such a similar phase, Bueckers knows how to do it gracefully.

“For sure, honestly, like I have so much love,” Watkins said while speaking at USC. “I’m surrounded by so much love throughout the whole process. The whole process, even from when it first started to now. I would say honestly, Paige was a big reason for me. She was constantly checking up on me, sending texts, just encouraging me.”

“So, I really appreciate that. But honestly, every person in the WNBA world who had gone through that or shared a similar experience just have nothing but love and support for me.”

JuJu Watkins sustained the tear in a non-contact injury against Mississippi State in the 2025 NCAA tournament. From there started a slow and cautious stretch, defined by daily rehab and overcoming mental huddles. For Watkins, the injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. She was possibly in the best years of her collegiate career, and the ACL tear just cut that short.

Quite naturally, this recovery phase took a toll on her mental state. She revealed it in an interview a few months ago.

“I would say for me personally, I think getting over that mental curve has been the biggest hurdle,” Watkins said as per High Post Hoops.

This is the point where Bueckers’ presence became significant. Bueckers tore her own ACL in 2022, an injury that cost her the entire 2022-23 season. She had already been through a second serious knee injury in college, a tibial plateau fracture and torn meniscus suffered in December 2021. Having lived through both setbacks, Bueckers had something specific to offer Watkins beyond sympathy. Not long after Watkins’ injury, she made that support public.

“You don’t get to be as good as JuJu Watkins if you don’t have a great motor, a great work ethic, and she’s going to attack this process just as she’s attacked basketball,” Bueckers had said as per Sports Illustrated.

Like Paige Bueckers, other women’s basketball stars like Cameron Brink and Azzi Fudd, both of whom having been through ACL recoveries of their own, also reached out to Watkins during that stretch.

All of these words of encouragement and support has now carried Watkins to the point where the recovery itself is nearly finished. She began with limited, shooting-only sessions at USA Basketball training camp in Phoenix in April. This is a step up from simply watching from the sidelines in team gear months earlier. By June, she had progressed to full training with the USC Trojans.

“I feel really great, really blessed to be here, feeling back like myself and being able to practice with the team,” JuJu Watkins said of her return as per LA Times beat writer Ryan Kartje.

For USC, her return changes what the program can realistically aim for next season. She is, without exaggeration, the most important player on the roster. Her absence shaped everything about how the Trojans operated over the past year, including how she spent it.

While Watkins was sidelined, she never fully stepped away from the program. She stayed close to the team, mentoring young players like Jazzy Davidson from the sideline. And now, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has made clear how Watkins’ transition to step back on the court will actually look like.

USC Trojans HC Details JuJu Watkins’ Fitness Amid Return

USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb has offered an optimistic update on JuJu Watkins’ fitness and eventual return to the floor.

“She’s back on the court, and it’s just a beautiful thing to see,” Gottlieb said as per NBC Sports. “She’s stronger, faster, in her best shape ever. The work that she put in is something that is going to speak volumes.”

Watkins has already started training in the USC gym after her recovery. This will help the Trojans’ star buckle up for next season. Nevertheless, she would certainly need a bit of game time on the court to retain her tempo and momentum.

It’s even more important because she has missed over a year of college basketball. Her return will definitely raise the USC Trojans’ ceiling next season as JuJu Watkins links up with Davidson for the first time.