JuJu Watkins FaceTimed Into USC's Celebration After Advancing to Elite 8 vs. UConn

USC star JuJu Watkins made sure she didn't totally miss her team's postgame celebration after a 67-61 win over Kansas State in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

The sophomore guard used FaceTime to congratulate her teammates:

"She hit me and just said how proud she was, before this game even, of the coaching staff, of the players, of everything that we are," head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said, per ESPN's Kevin Pelton. "And then right after, it was hard to hear in the locker room, but there were a lot of smiles, and my daughter was blowing kisses to her and said, 'JuJu's not hurt?'

"And I said, 'No, she's still hurt, but she's happy today and with us.' So, just trying to keep her spirit with us. She's just such an incredible young person, and I think the way the team has responded says a lot about them but also a lot about her and the true amount of chemistry that they have with each other."

Watkins suffered a torn ACL in USC's second-round victory over Mississippi State, which leaves her unavailable as the Trojans try to punch their first Final Four ticket since 1986.

Leading up to Saturday's game, the team showed its support for the two-time All-American by wearing shirts with her face on them.

The injury halted what was another prolific season from Watkins. She averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists.

USC survived it first game without its best player in the lineup, but a stiff challenge awaits Monday night.

The Trojans take on UConn and stars Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong at 9 p.m. ET. They already have a head-to-head win over the Huskies from December, but they won't have the services of Watkins, who scored a game-high 25 points, this time around.