USC star JuJu Watkins announced her absence for the entire 2025-26 NCAA season on Sunday via social media. Watkins is still recovering from a devastating knee injury suffered in March, prompting WNBA fans to react to her current predicament. In a statement released by the USC Trojans and via her social media accounts, Watkins confirmed that she'll miss the entire upcoming season. She thanked all of the people who had supported her throughout her ordeal, which happened in the second round of the NCAA tournament. "These last few months have been filled with a lot of healing, rest and reflection," Watkins said. "Recovering from this injury hasn't been easy, and I want to say thank you. Your love, support and kind words have truly lifted me up during one of the most challenging times in my life. Because you've been with me every step of the way, I wanted you to hear it from me directly that, following the advice of my doctors and trainers, I will sit out this season and fully focus on continuing to recover so I can come back to the game I love."JuJu Watkins' announcement wasn't surprising since an ACL tear usually takes nine to 12 months to fully recover from. WNBA fans dropped their reaction to Watkins missing the season on X, formerly known as Twitter. Some were surprised by the graphic, while others brought up Caitlin Clark, but mostly wished her a speedy recovery. Here are some of the comments: Dr. Money @MrMoneyManiLINKBruh how the hell was CC able to play all 4 years without ever missing a game? That scoring record won't be broken for a long time.Danielius @danieliusdbLINKPosts with these kind of graphics make it seem like someone diedRing Psychology @ringpsychologeeLINKWhy hurry back when she’s making more in NIL money at USC than the WNBA would pay her?JBond @jbondwagonLINKAt least she has one more year before she goes to WNBA.Humble @Humble_ReminderLINKRest and heal, you'll be back stronger!HighPilot✈️ @iDrankSEAGRAMSLINKPaige Bueckers went thru something similar and she turned out great people. She’s doing what’s right. Never rush the body.JuJu Watkins was coming off a down season for USC, compared to her fantastic freshman year. Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game as a sophomore. When is JuJu Watkins eligible for the WNBA Draft?JuJu Watkins is eligible to get drafted in 2027, upon the completion of her third collegiate season at USC. Watkins is also eligible for a fifth season since this upcoming campaign is her redshirt season due to injury.According to Sporting News, Watkins can have the same path to the pros as Paige Bueckers. The Dallas Wings superstar also missed her third year after suffering a torn ACL. She used her fifth-year eligibility to fully get her game back and became the number one pick of the 2025 WNBA draft.Watkins will be 22 years old in July 2027, so the age requirement also fits. Nevertheless, her talent remains unique, which will make her a consensus top selection unless something drastic happens during her final years in college.