JuJu Watkins was shown in agony in the floor before being carried into the locker room distraught leading to WNBA star Dearica Hamby to lead complaints over ESPN’s coverage.

WNBA star Dearica Hamby led complaints against ESPN’s coverage of JuJu Watkins’ heartbreaking injury in USC’s game against Mississippi State.

Watkins, one of the top players in college basketball, went down awkwardly as she drove for the basket in the first quarter and instantly went down screaming in pain as she grabbed her right knee. She was soon carried to the locker room by two Trojans staffers as the arena fell silent.

The horrendous incident played out live on ESPN, with UConn head coach Geno Auriemma among those who voiced his excitement to watch Watkins in action moments earlier after his UConn team beat South Dakota State. The national TV coverage saw the camera hover over Watkins as she was down on the floor and surrounded by concerned teammates before following her wincing in pain as she was carried to the locker room.

The incident was later tweeted by ESPN’s official account while viewers were shown multiple replays, including footage again at halftime in the studio. And Los Angeles Sparks player Hamby, a 2022 WNBA champion with the Las Vegas Aces and a 2015 first round draft pick out of Wake Forest, was not happy with the coverage.

“CAMERA PPL, STOP HOVERING OVER PLAYERS WHEN THEY ARE IN PAIN!!!!!”, Hamby wrote on X, leading to a wave of support for her comments in the replies.

“THIS and then replaying the injury SEVERAL times afterward,” one fan wrote. Another viewer said: “And also replaying the injury. We got it. It’s unnecessary. It’s torturous. Not everything needs to be televised”.

Pointing to previous incidents, one reply claimed: “That is ESPN. they followed Aneesah Morrow to the locker room in the SEC tourny and they also followed Aziaha James to the locker room too in the ACC tourny. they have absolutely no class. no matter how much we keep complaining to them they never change.”

Another noted a very different approach in the arena, which fell silent, as they revealed: “at the game they did not play the replay or anything!! which is def the right thing to do”.

Other replies called it “weird” and one fan added: “it’s absolutely disgusting when this happens.. it happens in soccer too and I’ll never understand and then fans will even make edits and include these clips too”.