Tempers flared in the post-game handshake line between USC and Mississippi State following , which to Trojans stars JuJu Watkins. According to Ben Golliver of The Washington Post, several players from both teams exchanged words before team personnel restrained them in a USC 96-59 second-round victory. Watkins will miss the rest of the NCAA Tournament for the Trojans after reportedly suffering a torn ACL in her right knee, . Watkins was carried off the floor only five minutes into the contest as her team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.

"I'd be lying if I told you that I wasn't rattled seeing JuJu on the floor crying," USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. "This is a human game and so I obviously tried my best to be what I need to be for the team, but internally it's a lot."

The nation's best player as a sophomore, Watkins has scored 1,709 points over her first two seasons, which is second-most all-time and just ahead of former Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark, who scored 1,662 and is college basketball's all-time leading scorer on the women's side.

Words are exchanged between USC and Mississippi State during handshake line following USC’s win which saw JuJu Watkins injured pic.twitter.com/52otJrJk8c

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 25, 2025

"You can't tell me that the energy of the crowd and how angry they were with the other team and how much they were for our team is so much about what JuJu has given to this arena, to this program, to this city," Gottlieb said.

USC players said after the game the contest got "chippy" and Gottlieb alluded to her team's "toughness" in conclusion.

"We know that we've got no punks in our locker room, that we have a team that's going to step up," Gottlieb said. "This team rallied, they rallied for [Watkins], they rallied for each other."

Per USCFootball.com, Kiki Iriafen was terrific for the Trojans and finished with a program NCAA Tournament record 36 points. Freshmen guards Avery Howell, Kayleigh Heckel and Kennedy Smith picked up the scoring for the top-seed Trojans without Watkins. Howell tied a career high with 18 points off the bench, including four triples.

Heckel added 13 points off the bench and Smith had 10 points. Howell and Heckel both set new career highs with six assists each as the Trojans set a new season high with 29 assists on 35 field goals. Forward Rayah Marshall had 12 points and nine rebounds.

Watkins averaged 24.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season and is the leading candidate for national player of the year.