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Juju Watkins' torn ACL shows you just how cruel sports can be
- Story by
- Juju Watkins' torn ACL shows you just how cruel sports can be
This is For The Win's daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here . Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey ! Now, here's Mike Sykes.
Good morning, Winners. Things aren't always going to go the way you think they are.
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There are a few things you can bet on in this life. But one thing that you can be sure of is that things will go awry in one way or another. You should bank on that. That's a lesson that I've learned and re-learned over and over again throughout my time in this world.
My grandmother taught me that. I used to call her with my problems, as insignificant as they were. Maybe I'd have a bad day at school, or maybe my parents just didn't understand me. You know how teen angst gets. I just needed someone to talk to to deliver me a bit of sympathy.
She'd never do it. Instead, she'd always explain that life was hard. It always has been, and it always will be. The most important thing to do was to be prepared for that hardship. Roll with the punches as they come. When you get knocked down, get back up.
That's a lesson weighing heavily on me this morning, as we've all learned that USC's Juju Watkins has suffered a season-ending torn ACL injury at the absolute worst time possible. USC broke the news on social media this morning after Watkins was carried off the cour t following her knee injury on Monday night .
Look at how cruel the basketball gods can be.
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There's no "right time" to tear your ACL. You never want to see this happen. But for it to happen in the middle of the NCAA tournament when USC is playing for a Sweet 16 bid? That can only be described as tragic.
Plus, not only are we missing Watkins for the rest of this tournament, but we're also likely going to miss most of Watkins' junior season as she takes her time with her recovery. Think about the records she was on pace to break. Think about what she may have accomplished this early in her career. Watkins has arguably been college basketball's best player as just a sophomore. She had Caitlin Clark's scoring record in her sights . The Trojans were one of the favorites to win a championship this season.
Now, because of the fragility of the human knee, that's all put on hold at the very least. There are more questions than answers surrounding the future for the biggest star college basketball has these days.
But, like grandma used to tell me, that's life. Things are not always going to go the way you think they will.
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Life can be cruel. But it can be beautiful, too. Especially when you come out on the other side of the setback. Juju's basketball story might be paused, but it's not over. In the end, she'll be back. Hopefully, she'll be better.
Stop whining about Cinderellas
Mar 20, 2025; Cleveland, OH, USA; A detail view of March Madness signage during practice at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
With both the men's and women's tournaments finally headed into the Sweet 16 later this week, folks are looking at the field and seeing a whole lot of chalk. For the first time since 2007, the men's NCAA tournament won't have an 11 seed or higher in the Sweet 16 . The top teams on the women's side have also been dominant, but that typically happens more often than it doesn't anyway.
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That hasn't stopped people from complaining about the tournament results so far. Some claim that NIL has officially destroyed the tournament because mid-majors are losing out on talent to bigger schools with deeper pockets .
While that might be true in some cases, I do think this is quite a big overreaction from just about everyone here.
Upsets have always been part of the NCAA tournament, yes. And so have the Cinderella stories that we love to watch. NC State's run last year , for example, would fall into that category. It was great. DJ Burns was a real treat.
But, sometimes, the tournament doesn't shake out that way. The results can be extremely random. Sometimes, that randomness leads us to the more likely outcome, with the best teams winning. Is that boring? Probably so if you're not watching the games.
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Let's not act like Maryland vs. Colorado State didn't come down to a Derik Queen game-winner on the men's side. Let's also not act like watching Sarah Ashlee Barker drop 45 on Maryland's women wasn't fun (What's up with Maryland in these close games, btw?). Did you not enjoy Amir Khan's star shining with McNeese ?
These games have been great, with or without Cinderellas. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Jimmy Butler says what we're all thinking about Heat Culture
The phrase "Heat Culture" has always been a bit annoying, hasn't it? You hear it whenever people talk about the Miami Heat .
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I'm not even completely sure what it's about. I don't know that any of us are, really. Obviously, we know that Pat Riley runs a tight ship down there in South Florida. But the "Heat Culture" thing always felt a little ridiculous to me, considering how middling most of those teams have been over the last decade. I don't really know how to explain it.
Luckily for me, Jimmy Butler — the former ambassador of Heat Culture himself — put it perfectly in this piece by The Athletic's Anthony Slater.
"I'm not saying it in a bad way, but I think it's a little bit, like, overused talking about the 'Heat Culture.' It is a great organization. But I think a large part of that culture is you get guys that buy into a (winning mindset). You get some guys that buy in, you get some really good players and you get the opportunity to talk about 'Heat Culture' a little bit more. I''m not saying it to talk down or anything, but I think whenever you have really good players you can name it whatever you want to name it."
Exactly. You can say anything you want when you have great players and you're winning. When things aren't going your way, is Heat Culture still a thing? If so, what's it worth? That's my question.
Quick hits:Nico Harrison texted us his trade plans ... Paige Bueckers gets the ovation she deserves ... and more
— This hilarious parody from Charles Curtis needs to be printed out and hung in the Louvre. I need someone to animate this ASAP.
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— Here's Cory Woodroof on Paige Bueckers getting an ovation from the crowd as she left her final game in Storrs with UConn . What a moment.
— Prince Grimes is ranking AL and NL MVP candidates. It's almost baseball time, folks.
— The Jaxson Dart fever is real. Here's Charles Curtis with deets on the latest ESPN mock draft.
— Bryan Kalbrosky put together a list of the best men's NCAA basketball transfer portal players . Tap in.
— Trump invited the Chiefs to the White House for the 2020 Super Bowl . Wack.
That's a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading.
-Sykes ✌️
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Juju Watkins injury shows how cruel sports can be
