ESPN slammed for 'unnecessary' and 'torturous' coverage of JuJu Watkins' heartbreaking March Madness injury READ MORE: Lip reader reveals what high school coach said after yanking hair By JAKE FENNER Published: 15:09 GMT, 25 March 2025 | Updated: 15:09 GMT, 25 March 2025 Quite possibly the biggest news in this year's March Madness arrived on Monday night - but it spelled the end to the season for one of the brightest stars in college basketball. In the second round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, USC star sophomore Juju Watkins tweaked her knee on a fastbreak against Mississippi State. She clattered to the ground and immediately grabbed her right knee as she grimaced and screamed in pain. Watkins needed to be carried to the locker room and was later diagnosed with a torn ACL - ending her season and potentially keeping her out for a very large portion of the 2025-26 season as well. As Watkins was writhing on the ground in pain, ESPN cameras captured her agony and broadcast it around the world - which rubbed some the wrong way. A number of women's basketball fans - and even some players themselves - criticized the 'Worldwide Leader' for their inability to cut away from Watkins. ESPN was criticized by fans and WNBA players for their coverage of Juju Watkins' injury The star point guard injured her knee in a Round of 32 game against Mississippi State Los Angeles Sparks star Dearica Hamby was among the most prominent to voice their complaints on X, formerly Twitter. 'CAMERA PPL, STOP HOVERING OVER PLAYERS WHEN THEY ARE IN PAIN!!!!!,' Hamby posted on the social media platform. 'THIS and then replaying the injury SEVERAL times afterward,' another fan wrote. A different viewer not only took issue with the hovering, but, 'Also replaying the injury. We got it. It's unnecessary. It's torturous. Not everything needs to be televised'. Another user pointed to previous instances of player injuries covered by the network: 'That is ESPN. they followed [LSU forward] Aneesah Morrow to the locker room in the SEC tourny and they also followed [NC State guard] Aziaha James to the locker room too in the ACC tourny. they have absolutely no class. no matter how much we keep complaining to them they never change.' One person who was at the Galen Center in Los Angeles when the injury occurred pointed out, 'at the game they did not play the replay or anything!! which is def the right thing to do'. Another fan added, 'it's absolutely disgusting when this happens.. it happens in soccer too and I'll never understand and then fans will even make edits and include these clips too'. Watkins had to be carried off the court and her injury was later revealed to be a torn ACL The loss of Watkins is a major blow to the hopes of a USC team that was among the favorites to win a national title this year. Watkins, believed to be the front-runner for the National Player of the Year award, has been a star for the Trojans all season long. Now, she may have a long road to recovery ahead of her. She played just five minutes prior to leaving from the injury - scoring three points, one, and two assists. In her absence, star forward Kiki Iriafen dropped 36 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two blocks as USC went on to win 96-59. Without their star, the Trojans are now off to the Sweet 16 to play five-seed Kansas State in Spokane, Washington. March MadnessTwitterMississippi Share or comment on this article: ESPN slammed for 'unnecessary' and 'torturous' coverage of JuJu Watkins' heartbreaking March Madness injury Add comment