LOS ANGELES ? USC star JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending ACL tear during the Trojans' second-round NCAA tournament game against Mississippi State, an injury that immediately changed the shape of the women's bracket.

In its game-night report, The Associated Press said Watkins was carried off the floor five minutes into USC's 96-59 win after her right knee buckled on a drive to the basket.

The severity of the injury was confirmed later that night by ESPN, which reported that Watkins had torn her ACL and would undergo season-ending surgery.

The effects continued well beyond the game itself. ESPN's follow-up analysis said the injury reshaped the championship race and forced USC to rethink its identity around a deeper, more committee-based approach.

Watkins had been one of the most influential players in the sport, so the injury became not just a USC story, but one of the defining turns of the tournament.