USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb defends Mississippi State player amid online harassment over JuJu Watkins' injury

USC women’s hoops caput manager Lindsay Gottlieb came to the defence of Mississippi State subordinate Chandler Prater aft she faced harsh disapproval online for her engagement successful the play that resulted successful JuJu Watkins’ season-ending wounded connected Monday night. 

Speaking to the media connected Friday, Gottlieb made it wide that she did not judge that Prater’s play successful the archetypal fractional of the second-round crippled resulted in Watkins’ injury.

Southern California defender JuJu Watkins (12) falls to the level with the shot betwixt Mississippi State defender Eniya Russell, left, and defender Chandler Prater, right, during the archetypal fractional of the second-round of the NCAA assemblage hoops tourney connected Monday, March 24, 2025, successful Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

"There was thing to maine that looked similar it had immoderate intent to wounded her. . . . I mean, that's not a USC presumption astatine all," she said, via ESPN. "It was a carnal game. . . . No 1 deserves online bullying successful immoderate realm, but surely not a young pistillate successful Chandler, who was trying to marque a play, and unluckily our subordinate got hurt."

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Prater, a postgraduate pupil successful her archetypal play with the Bulldogs, appeared to disable her remark conception connected her astir caller Instagram posts aft facing an influx of hateful messages. According to reports, immoderate of the comments called Prater a "dirty" player. 

"Learn however to play the athletics without fouling and injuring players," 1 station read. 

"Dirty arsenic hell," different read. "Quit playing basketball, you’re truthful a-- you person to foul similar that?" 

Southern California defender JuJu Watkins (12) reacts connected the level aft an wounded during the archetypal fractional against Mississippi State successful the 2nd circular of the NCAA assemblage hoops tourney connected Monday, March 24, 2025, successful Los Angeles.  (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)

MISSISSIPPI STATE'S CHANDLER PRATER FACES ONLINE CRITICISM FOLLOWING JUJU WATKINS INJURY

Watkins was injured connected a accelerated interruption down the court. Prater and different Mississippi State subordinate were guarding her erstwhile Watkins planted her close ft down, and her genu bent awkwardly. She instantly grimaced successful symptom portion connected the crushed grabbing her close knee, and she was yet carried disconnected the court. 

"We person truly passionate fans, and there's a batch of emotion for JuJu, and I recognize radical being bittersweet and wounded that she's hurt, but cipher successful our campy feels similar determination was immoderate benignant of onslaught connected her, and would not enactment immoderate benignant of online bullying oregon things of that nature," Gottlieb added, via ESPN. 

"She's a young idiosyncratic that was playing basketball, too, and I'm definite did not privation immoderate portion of a antagonistic concern that it turned retired to be."

Southern California caput manager Lindsay Gottlieb speaks astir JuJu Watkins during a quality league earlier the Sweet 16 of the NCAA assemblage hoops tourney Friday, March 28, 2025, successful Spokane, Wash.  (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)

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The Trojans determination connected without Watkins, who volition acquisition country and rehab aft tearing her ACL. They look No. 5 seed Kansas State connected Saturday successful the Sweet 16. 

"I deliberation the prevailing feeling is that we tin inactive bash thing together, and that's what JuJu wants america to do," Gottlieb said of the team’s mindset moving guardant successful the women’s tournament. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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