Women's March Madness 2025: USC advances to Elite Eight with JuJu Watkins Funko Pop on the bench

SPOKANE, Wash. -- JuJu Watkins was on the USC bench as the Trojans advanced to the Elite Eight with a 67-61 win over Kansas State on Saturday. Well, sort of.

Watkins tore her ACL in the second round of the tournament and therefore she did not make the trip up the coast. But her teammates wanted to include her as much as possible so they wore JuJu shirts on their way to the arena. They also took a Funko Pop with them and sat her down on the bench.

"We have her in our thoughts and we are supporting her from here," Avery Howell said. "We are taking her, her competitive nature, onto the court every single time we step there. We know that she's back home supporting us, having a watch party, doing everything she can to give us that good juju you could say."

In the fall, Watkins became the first NCAA athlete to have her own collectible figure. It definitely came in handy this week. 

Meanwhile, Watkins posted on social media for the first time since her injury and showed she had the Trojans on her TV screen.

Last year this time, Watkins guided the Trojans to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1994. Even without her on the court, the Trojans were determined to do it again.

Kiki Iriafen, who had one of the best performances of her career during the second round win over Mississippi State, was not too hot offensively against Kansas State on Saturday. However, the freshmen stepped up with Howell and Kennedy Smith combining for 37 points.

"We still have the common goal of winning a national championship," Smith said. "We talked to [Watkins] before the game and she was still rooting us on. Just keeping her on our hearts and minds and playing for her, as well as for each other."

The job won't get any easier as the Trojans will take on UConn in the Elite Eight, the same team that knocked them out in that same round last year. That game is set for Monday at 9 p.m. ET.