USC has a breakout candidate in the wake of JuJu Watkins' devastating injury

The USC Trojans women’s college basketball team will endure a challenging 2025-26 NCAA season without their biggest star, JuJu Watkins. The sophomore suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the second round of the 2025 NCAA tournament against Mississippi State. 

What started as a run in which Watkins could go at it against Paige Bueckers again ended with the Trojans losing 78-64 to the UConn Huskies in the Elite Eight. They are preparing for a new season, and one of the biggest questions they’ll have to answer will be about who will take over from Watkins. 

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks in her sophomore season, leading the Trojans to a 29-3 record before she went down early on in the Mississippi State game.  While the expectations might not be the same at the beginning, USC could find a new spark with a freshman ready to dominate the competition. 

USC Trojans’ freshman projected to take over from JuJu Watkins 

While it’s well known that JuJu Watkins is a generational talent, the Trojans might have an ace up their sleeve for the upcoming season. Jalon Dixon of “USC Trojans on SI” writes that freshman guard Jazzy Davidson is set to lead the team this campaign. 

JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans

She’s coming off a gold medal win at the FIBA U19 World Cup in the Czech Republic, where she averaged 14 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.1 steals per game. 

“Her all-around game—scoring, facilitating, and defending—stood out on a roster full of elite prospects. At 6-1, her size and versatility allow her to impact multiple positions, and she flashed the maturity to lead on both ends of the floor,” he said.

Dixon adds that her international experience wasn’t a surprise for many. She only confirmed what people were expecting from her. Watkins’ absence will always be serious for the Trojans, but they have a new talented face ready to lead the charge.