How long is JuJu Watkins out? USC star facing same ACL injury timeline as Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd

4 weeks ago 6

After sustaining a heartbreaking ACL injury successful the 2nd circular of the NCAA Tournament, JuJu Watkins’ instrumentality to the tribunal has go 1 of the biggest questions successful assemblage basketball. Her wounded came during what galore hoped would beryllium a rubric run, and fans are anxious to cognize erstwhile she’ll marque her comeback.

Unfortunately, Watkins isn’t the archetypal pistillate assemblage jock to look this benignant of injury. UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd some precocious dealt with ACL tears successful betwixt their sophomore and inferior seasons arsenic well.

Bueckers tore her ACL successful August 2022 and, aft a twelvemonth of recovery, was cleared to instrumentality to play successful August 2023. She made her comeback successful November 2023. Fudd, connected the different hand, tore some her ACL and MCL successful November 2023, returning a twelvemonth aboriginal successful November 2024.

MORE: No. 1 enlistee successful state passes connected South Carolina, Dawn Staley successful favour of SEC rival

How agelong is JuJu Watkins out?

Like Bueckers and Fudd, Watkins volition acquisition country and extended rehabilitation earlier she tin measurement backmost connected the court. Recovery from an ACL teardrop is nary casual feat, but it’s portion of the process for athletes to regain their strength.

The ACL, oregon anterior cruciate ligament, connects the femur to the tibia successful the genu and is incredibly beardown yet lacks elasticity, making it susceptible to tears. Studies from Yale Medicine amusement that women are astatine a higher hazard for ACL tears, with the wounded occurring 2 to 8 times much often successful women than successful men.

Follow The Sporting News connected WhatsApp

Theories for this disparity see anatomical, hormonal and biomechanical factors, but the probe is inactive evolving. Additionally, women thin to person little musculus wide astir their knees, contributing to the higher risk.

Typically, betterment from an ACL teardrop takes anyplace from 9 months to a year, depending connected the severity of the wounded and the individual’s progress. So, wherever does that permission Watkins? If her betterment follows a akin timeline, we mightiness spot her backmost conscionable earlier adjacent year’s NCAA Tournament play — oregon possibly she’ll instrumentality the full adjacent play disconnected and instrumentality the pursuing year.

While the anticipation for her instrumentality is high, what matters astir is that she recovers afloat and is successful the champion signifier to debar reinjury.

Just similar Bueckers and Fudd, who some made beardown comebacks from their ACL injuries, there’s anticipation that Watkins volition besides marque a triumphant comeback.

MORE COLLEGE BASKETBALL NEWS:

Read Entire Article