JuJu Watkins was on the USC bench as the Trojans advanced to the Elite Eight with a 67-61 win over Kansas State on Saturday. Well, sort of. Watkins tore her ACL in the second round of the tournament and therefore she did not make the trip up the coast.

The Wildcats then tied it up early in the fourth quarter, and they hung with USC nearly the rest of the way. While the Trojans' last field goal came at the 4:35 mark, they hit eight free throws — and came up with a huge defensive stop after a late turnover — to end the game and escape with the six-point win.

Kennedy Smith stepped into the void left by injured star JuJu Watkins, scoring 19 points to help Southern California hold off Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet 16.

The Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament concludes on Saturday, March 29 in Regional 4 Spokane where the 1 seed USC Trojans battle the 5 seed Kansas State Wildcats at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Wash.

Watkins' suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second round. The ramifications extend beyond the Trojans.

While heartbroken at the loss of star guard JuJu Watkins, Southern California’s players are determined to move forward in the women’s NCAA Tournament.

USC Trojans women's basketball center Rayah Marshall needed to be held back after the team's win against the Mississippi State Bulldogs

Madness broadcast for Tennessee basketball vs. Kentucky mistakenly used a Purdue logo instead of Kentucky's UK logo during the game.