The Emotional Toll of Injury: JuJu Watkins’ ACL Tear Hits Home for UConn Stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd…

The Emotional Toll ofThe Emotional Toll of Injury: JuJu Watkins’ ACL Tear Hits Home for UConn Stars Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd…

 

When news broke that USC phenom JuJu Watkins had suffered a devastating ACL tear, it sent shockwaves throughout the women’s college basketball community. For most, it was a heartbreaking update on a rising star’s career. But for UConn standouts Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd, it felt like a gut punch — a deeply personal reminder of their own grueling paths through injury and recovery.

“It made me nauseous,” Bueckers admitted. “You don’t want anyone to go through that — especially someone like JuJu, who’s so young and just getting started. But it brings all those memories back.”

Both Bueckers and Fudd know the anguish of an ACL injury all too well. Bueckers tore her ACL in August 2022 during a pickup game, sidelining her for the entire 2022–2023 season. It was a cruel blow after already enduring a knee fracture the season before. Fudd, too, has struggled with knee injuries throughout her college career, missing large chunks of multiple seasons. The physical pain is intense, but it’s the emotional weight — the uncertainty, the isolation, and the mental grind of rehab — that leaves an indelible mark.

Watkins, a sophomore at USC, was coming off a historic freshman campaign. She had already carved out a name for herself as one of the most electrifying players in the country, averaging over 27 points per game and leading her team deep into the NCAA tournament. Her blend of skill, confidence, and flair made her a beacon for the future of women’s basketball. That future, now paused by injury, has ignited a wave of empathy from fellow athletes — especially those who’ve walked the same hard road.

“You go from the highest highs — playing in front of thousands, leading your team, living your dream — to being stuck in a training room, learning how to walk again,” said Fudd. “It messes with your mind. But it also builds something in you that nothing else can.”

The solidarity among players who’ve endured ACL injuries is a quiet but powerful bond. It’s a community born not just from shared pain, but from the resilience required to come back stronger. Bueckers, who returned this past season in elite form, has become an advocate for mental health and recovery support in college sports. She often speaks about the pressure to perform and the emotional toll that injuries take on athletes.

“I just want JuJu to know she’s not alone,” Bueckers said. “She’s going to come back from this. She’s got so many people who believe in her.”

Watkins’ injury is undoubtedly a setback, but in the stories of players like Bueckers and Fudd, there is hope. Hope that healing is possible, that greatness can be rediscovered — and that through pain, players can emerge even stronger. For Watkins, the road to recovery begins now, and she does so with the unwavering support of those who truly understand what it takes to walk it.