2025 Women's March Madness live updates: JuJu Watkins appears to injure knee as USC cruises into Sweet 16

The USC star suffered an apparent knee injury in the first quarter vs. Mississippi State

The second round of the NCAA Tournament delivered some thrilling action on Monday, but took a scary turn in the final game of the day when USC star JuJu Watkins suffered an apparent knee injury in the first quarter of the No. 1 seed Trojans' 96-59 victory over Mississippi State. 

Watkins was pushing the ball in transition when she was bumped by multiple defenders. She immediately collapsed to the ground and screamed out in pain as she grabbed at her right knee. The Trojans' medical staff briefly attended to her on the court before carrying her to the locker room. 

JuJu Watkins injury: USC star's season ends with torn ACL after contact in Women's March Madness game

Jack Maloney

Earlier in the day, Maryland picked up a 111-108 double-overtime win over Alabama after overcoming a 17-point deficit.

The Terrapins almost got the job done in the first extra period, but Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker gave her team another five minutes with three clutch free throws. The Crimson Tide didn't get the win, but Barker finished the day with a program-record 45 points.

That game shook things up because Oklahoma, NC State, Texas and LSU earned their spot in the Sweet 16 with blowout victories. 

No. 2 seed NC State opened the slate with a historic blowout victory over No. 7 seed Michigan State. The Wolfpack thumped the Spartans 83-49 and knocked down a single-game Women's NCAA Tournament record 15 3-pointers in the process. 

Later on, UConn, the winningest program in NCAA history and a No. 2 seed this year, dominated No. 10 seed South Dakota State -- the final double-digit seed remaining -- 91-57 as Paige Bueckers tied a career high with 34 points. That performance came on the heels of one of the most dominant performances of the tournament so far with a 103-34 victory over No. 15 seed Arkansas in the first round. The Huskies have made 15 of the last 16 Final Fours and they are trying to make yet another deep run.

LSU, meanwhile, turned in an impressive performance by cruising past No. 6 seed Florida State 101-71. Mikaylah Williams led the Tigers with 28 points while Aneesah Morrow added 26 and 11 rebounds and Sa'Myah Smith had a double-double of her own with 20 points and 10 boards.

2025 NCAA Women's Tournament results

All times Eastern | Complete schedule | LIVE bracket

(2) NC State 83, (7) Michigan State 49	(1) Texas 65, (8) Illinois 48
(3) Oklahoma 96, (6) Iowa 62	(4) Maryland 111, (5) Alabama 108 (2OT)
(3) LSU 101, (6) Florida State 71	(3) North Carolina 58, (6) West Virginia 47
(2) UConn 91, (10) South Dakota State 57	(1) USC 96, (9) Mississippi State 59

CBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every second-round game on Monday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the day.

[Mar 25, 2025 at 12:23 am ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final (1) USC 96, (9) Mississippi State 59

Yes, USC advanced to the Sweet 16, however, the status of the Trojans' star player is unknown after JuJu Watkins crumpled to the floor in the first quarter with what looked to be a serious knee injury. Watkins had to be carried off the court and is being evaluated.

In Watkins' absence, Kiki Iriafen had her best performance as a Trojan with 36 points -- a program record for an NCAA Tournament game. She also contribute with nine rebounds, two assists, two blocks ... and a whole lot of leadership after the Watkins injury. 

Other players also stepped up, including freshmen Avery Howell and Kayleigh Heckel off the bench with 18 and 13 points, respectively. The Trojans defense continued to shine in the tournament by forcing 20 turnovers and holding the Bulldogs to under 32% shooting from the field. 

USC is set to face Kansas State in the Sweet 16. If the Trojans win that one and there are no surprises, they could be seeing an Elite Eight rematch against UConn the following round.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 10:56 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

JuJu Watkins suffers injury vs. Mississippi State

You could hear a pin drop inside the Galen Center in Los Angeles when star forward JuJu Watkins went down with what looked like a serious knee injury. Watkins was carried to the locker room by USC staffers and was in visible pain during the TV timeout. There hasn't been an update from inside the arena on her status.

Cameron Salerno

[Mar 24, 2025 at 10:18 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: (2) UConn 91, (10) South Dakota State 57

South Dakota State was riding a 20-game winning streak prior to Monday's matchup, but UConn is a tough team to beat in March. Geno Auriemma's Huskies are advancing to the Sweet 16 for the 31st consecutive year. It was a special night in Storrs as senior Paige Bueckers tied a career-high 34 points during her last game in her home arena. 

Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong also reached double figures with a combined 32 points, while the team as a whole shot 57% from the field. Defensively, the strong UConn defense never really let South Dakota State get comfortable. The Huskies were able to get 35 points off 25 turnovers and the third quarter was particularly dominant as they outscored the Jackrabbits 29-8.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 9:26 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: (3) North Carolina 58, (6) West Virginia 47

The Tar Heels are advancing to their second Sweet 16 in four years. Alyssa Ustby did a little bit of everything for North Carolina during her last game ever at Carmichael Arena. She lifted her team with a game-high 21 points, along with 7 rebounds, 3 blocks and 4 steals.

West Virginia struggled making shots most of the game and went just 24.1% from the field. Jordan Harrison was the only double-digit scorer for the Mountaineers with 10 points, but she had to really work for those points against the North Carolina defense as she went 2 of 9 from the floor.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 8:20 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: (3) LSU 101, (6) Florida State 71

LSU was only leading by one point at the halftime, but a strong second half performance earned the Tigers a trip to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. 

Although Kim Mulkey wasn't too impressed with her team's defense during the first half, the offense definitely did its job on Monday. Mikaylah Williams put up 28 points going 10 of 12 from the field, including 3 of 3 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Aneesah Morrow and Sa'Myah Smith got double-doubles of 20+ points. 

Florida State's Ta'Niya Watson left it all out on the court with 30 points and seven rebounds. This was the first time the Seminoles had advanced to the Round of 32 since 2019.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 8:14 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final (2OT): (4) Maryland 111, (5) Alabama 108

These two teams gave us one of the best games of the tournament so far with the first double overtime battle since the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins are advancing to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the last five seasons after overcoming a 17-point deficit in regulation. 

Maryland used the first extra five minutes wisely, but Alabama's Sarah Ashlee Barker forced another overtime period with three clutch free throws. Her team didn't get the win, but Barker made program history with 45 points -- which is also the fourth highest scoring performance in NCAA Tournament history. 

Four Terrapins scored at least 19 points, with Shyanne Sellers registering a team-high 28 points despite being in foul trouble.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 6:09 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: (3) Oklahoma 96, (6) Iowa 62

Oklahoma had a slow start in the first few minutes, but the Sooners settled in and took control of the game. The program is advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013. 

The offense got the job done with six players reaching double figures, led by Skylar Vann with 17 points and Payton Verhulst with 16. Meanwhile, Oklahoma's defense registered 13 steals, forced 20 turnovers and held Iowa to under 37% shooting from the field. Lucy Olson led the Hawkeyes effort with 20 points. 

[Mar 24, 2025 at 4:03 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Final: (1) Texas 65, (8) Illinois 48

Madison Booker got her second consecutive 20-point performance to help the Longhorns advance to their fourth Sweet 16 in five years. Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda was another top contributor with 19 points off the bench, while Rori Harmon created shots for her teammates with seven assists. However, defense continues to be Texas' strength. Vic Schaefer's team held Illinois to around 38% shooting from the field while forcing 20 turnovers. The Fighting Illini average 71 points per game, but they scored well below their average on Sunday.

This was a strong win for the Longhorns, but their next matchup will be even tougher with a rematch against Tennessee. They met late January and it was a battle that Texas barely survived with an 80-76 victory.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 1:52 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Final: (2) NC State 81, (7) Michigan State 49

Any concerns about NC State following its somewhat shaky first-round showing against Vermont have been emphatically dashed now. The Wolfpack destroyed Michigan State from wire-to-wire in Monday's second-round matchup, punching its ticket to a Sweet 16 matchup against either LSU or Florida State. Saniya Rivers and 3-point shooting were the difference for NC State. Rivers dominated on both ends to the tune of 17 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks. As a team, the Wolfpack made 15 of their 30 3-pointers, setting a single-game season high and NCAA Tournament program record for triples made in the process. 

[Mar 24, 2025 at 11:30 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

JuJu Watkins will not return tonight

Watkins will not return to the game. According to the team, she is being evaluated by USC Keck Medicine staff. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb talked about the conversation with her team at halftime.

"It's obviously talking about the X's and O's, and what we need to do to win this game," she said on the broadcast. "We have great confidence that we can keep the foot on the gas. But also understanding that we are a family, all the time, and this is what we need to do: stick together.

"...Juju is the toughest kid I know and she is going to be good one way or the other."

[Mar 24, 2025 at 11:16 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Halftime: (1) USC 50, (9) Mississippi State 27

The Trojans entered the break with a significant lead despite playing without star sophomore JuJu Watkins, who left the court with an apparent leg injury in the first quarter.

Kiki Iriafen, the team's second-leading scorer this season, has stepped up and taken over USC's offense with 15 points while going 7 of 11 from the field. Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell have also reached double figures with 10 points each.

USC's defense was suffocating against UNC Greensboro during the first round, and the same can be said about tonight. The Trojans held the Bulldogs to just eight field goals in the first half

[Mar 24, 2025 at 10:57 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Another injury scare for USC

Malia Samuels headed to the locker room after taking a hard foul with 6 minutes remaining in the second quarter. The sophomore guard appeared to hit her head but was able to walk by herself and checked back in two minutes later.

[Mar 24, 2025 at 10:28 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

JuJu Watkins is down

Galen Center went completely silent as the USC star had to be carried off the floor and into the locker room because of a leg injury. Watkins was in visible pain and grabbed her right knee as soon as she went down in the middle of the first quarter.

JuJu Watkins injury: USC star's season ends with torn ACL after contact in Women's March Madness game

Jack Maloney