USC made sure JuJu Watkins had a presence on their sideline for Saturday night’s March Madness match-up.
The injured superstar will not take to the court again this season, after she tore her ACL in the second-round win over Mississippi State earlier this month.
Watkins will undergo surgery and is set for a lengthy spell in rehab.
But while the Trojans are without their sophomore guard, there is still an NCAA Tournament to win.
The No. 1 seeds were in action in the Sweet 16 round on Saturday, and key contributions from their top-ranked freshman class ensured they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 67-61.
During the game, USC found a heartwarming way to ensure that Watkins was also present in spirit on the March Madness sideline.
While the 19-year-old was unable to travel and is back home in Los Angeles, her signature bun was indeed spotted on the bench, in the form of her Funko Pop.
A tiny figure of Watkins stood on the sideline with USC, and some of her teammates were also seen holding it as the action unfolded at Spokane Arena in Washington.
Players and coaching staff also donned Nike shirts with their injured star’s face on ahead of tip-off.
According to ESPN, Watkins stayed in contact with her team before and after the win, and FaceTimed the group to join the post-game celebration.
“She hit me and just said how proud she was, before this game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
“And then right after, it was hard to hear in the locker room, but there were a lot of smiles, and my daughter was blowing kisses to her and said, ‘JuJu’s not hurt?’
“I said, ‘No, she’s still hurt, but she’s happy today and with us.’ So, just trying to keep her spirit with us.
“She’s just such an incredible young person, and I think the way the team has responded says a lot about them but also a lot about her and the true amount of chemistry that they have with each other.”
USC’s Funko Pop tribute to Watkins was also praised by many fans online.
“That is the cutest s*** I’ve seen all year. Fight On! Fight the hell on,” one person wrote on X.
“What a sweet gesture from her teammates,” another said.
“That’s love,” a third person concluded.
March Madness Top Stories
Ranking the greatest players in NCAA men’s March Madness history – from Michael Jordan to Magic Johnson
‘This sister is special’ – Stephen A. Smith identifies rising star who can challenge Caitlin Clark’s WNBA dominance
March Madness legends who are still balling in NBA today – from Steph Curry to Ja Morant
NCAA March Madness is bigger and better than the College Football Playoff – the springtime phenomenon is bigger than ever
Biggest March Madness upsets in history of NCAA Tournament – top seeds humiliated as small schools enjoy their moment
With a win against the Wildcats, USC have advanced to the Elite Eight, and are heading into a rematch on Monday with UConn.
The two teams met at the same stage last year, when the Huskies advanced to the Final Four.
“We still have the common goal of obviously winning a national championship,” freshman guard Kennedy Smith said on Saturday night.
“With Ju going down, obviously it was a bit of adversity that we had to face, but just having her in our presence – we talked to her before the game.
“She was still rooting us on, things of that nature, so just keeping her in our hearts and minds and playing for her as well as for each other.”
How to watch March Madness in the UK
*If you click a link in this box we will earn affiliate revenue
March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year for basketball fans, with a total of 68 teams battling it out to become the Division 1 college champions.
This year UConn have the chance to become only the second team ever to complete a March Madness three-peat, having emerged victorious for the last two years.
talkSPORT will have the latest news on the tournament, but for UK basketball fans the way to watch is through Sky Sports. The broadcaster will be showing EVERY March Madness game through their Sky Sports + streaming service.
Click here to sign up to a Sky Sports subscription, or read our article on the best Sky Sports deals available now.
