And in the late game, No. 1 USC is as an underdog against No. 2 UConn, led by star guard Paige Bueckers. The Trojans, despite losing star JuJu Watkins to a season-ending injury earlier in the tournament, managed to survive their Sweet 16 matchup against Kansas State. But UConn will provide a much stiffer test.

Watkins, responsible for revitalizing the USC women's basketball program after years of dormancy, had to watch the game from Los Angeles. The national player of the year front-runner sustained a season-ending ACL tear in the Trojans' second-round NCAA tournament game against Mississippi State,

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 of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

USC's women's basketball team is continuing on even without the incredible JuJu Watkins, who shockingly tore her ACL earlier in the women's March Madness NCAA tournament.

"JuJu and I talked a lot before I came to USC and kind of just feeling out this decision," Iriafen said. "The biggest thing that we both talked about is winning. We both wanted to

JuJu Watkins’ absence looms large in Spokane, where eight of the remaining 16 teams, including USC, are gathering this week for March Madness.

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

UConn has catapulted to the top of the betting board after JuJu Watkins' unfortunate injury. Read for the latest title odds.

Our UConn vs. USC predictions for this Elite Eight matchup side with the Huskies to cover a double-digit spread.