The second season of “On The Rise: JuJu Watkins” starts with a rather somber ending.
In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, and with her team in serious contention for the women’s basketball national championship, Watkins is faced with her sophomore season suddenly arriving at an abrupt end because of a devastating injury.
The documentary series spares no pretense in covering Watkins’ torn anterior cruciate ligament. A stunned silence fell over the season’s final game at Galen Center in Los Angeles as Watkins collapsed to the floor while writhing in pain and clutching at her right knee midway through the first quarter of the top-seeded Trojans’ 96-59 victory over Mississippi State.
Watkins left the arena to undergo an MRI. She received the diagnosis upon returning to the game and broke the bad news to her team afterward.
“I think it was definitely like denial,” Watkins said of her reaction. “There’s absolutely no way this is happening to me right now.”
The documentary series chronicles the first steps back through a frustrating rehabilitation. She announced in late September that she’ll be sitting out this season to prepare for the 2026-27 season (and the WNBA Draft, which the 20-year-old will be eligible for in ’27).
“It’s not really moving fast in my opinion,” Watkins said during the documentary. “This is Week 3. I’ve been underground. I’’m not integrating back into society until I figure this out. Just trying to get back to my old self at this point. That’s the goal.”
While the injury briefly sidelined her basketball career, there’s been little stopping Watkins off the court. “On The Rise” notes how she has become a ubiquitous presence as a highly sought-after spokesperson whose myriad endorsements have included a Super Bowl commercial.
While driving through downtown L.A., Watkins regularly passes a building draped in a mural with her likeness that stands several stories high.
“Every 20-25 years, you come across an athlete that’s just different from everyone,” four-time NBA champion Draymond Green said in the documentary. “JuJu is that athlete. She’s one of the premier names globally. She’s changing the landscape for female athletes.”
The first episode of “On The Rise’s” second season also covers the first few months of the 2024-25 season, which USC begins with a gritty win over Mississippi in France. Watkins shows off her French while the Trojans hold a youth clinic for girls in France.
“Women’s basketball is becoming more of a global thing,” said Watkins, who was last year’s AP Player of the Year after leading USC to its best season in nearly 40 years. “To see I have supporters and friends here is something I couldn’t fathom.”
Many of the younger fans mimic the famous “JuJu Bun” hairstyle sported by Watkins, who became a sensation in the 2023-24 season by breaking the record for most points by a freshman in NCAA history.
“Little girls want to wear the bun,” Green said. “She’s having that type of effect on the game. You have to be special.”
More from “On The Rise: JuJu Watkins":
Season 1, Episode 1: JuJu Watkins on choosing USC, the LeBron commercial, family
Season 1, Episode 2: How family and community lift JuJu Watkins
Season 1 Episode 3: For JuJu Watkins, when one door closes, another opens
Season 1, Episode 4: ‘The JuJu Effect:' Watkis begins to build new legacy at USC
Season 1, Episode 5: Squarely in the spotlight, Watkins announces college arrival
Season 1, Episode 6: JuJu Watkins introduces herself in historic freshman season
Season 2, Episode 1: JuJu Watkins deals with adversity while navigating transcendence
Season 2, Episode 2: Heeding a call to service underpins JuJu Watkins’ fan connection
Season 2, Episode 3: The best hometown moments of JuJu Watkins’ sophomore season
Season 2, Episode 4: The emotional fallout and family support after the knee injury
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