Mississippi State's Chandler Prater Faces Online Backlash After JuJu Watkins Injury

Mississippi State women's basketball player Chandler Prater has come under intense online scrutiny after her involvement in a play that led to a severe injury for USC star JuJu Watkins during Monday night’s game. The injury, which has ended Watkins’ season, sparked an outpouring of criticism aimed at Prater on social media.

Prater, a graduate transfer in her first season with the Bulldogs, has reportedly taken steps to shield herself from the backlash, including disabling the comment sections on some of her Instagram posts. The wave of hateful messages followed Watkins' injury in the first half of their second-round game, with some accusing Prater of playing “dirty.”

Among the harsh comments were posts telling Prater to “learn how to play the sport without fouling and injuring players” and calling her actions “dirty as hell.” Another commenter went as far as saying, “Quit playing basketball, you’re so a-- you have to foul like that?”

Watkins' injury occurred during a drive down the court when she was surrounded by two defenders, including Prater. As Watkins planted her right foot, her knee bent awkwardly, causing her to collapse in visible pain. She was eventually carried off the court, leaving fans and teammates stunned.

USC later confirmed that Watkins will undergo surgery and rehabilitation, but specifics about her injury remain undisclosed. Mississippi State faced hostility from the crowd following the incident, with even the school’s cheer squad being booed during a halftime performance. MSU guard Jerkaila Jordan commented on the crowd’s reaction, saying, “They’re gonna stand behind their home team. They’re gonna go hard for JuJu. I couldn’t do nothing but respect them.”

Despite the emotional atmosphere, USC advanced to the Sweet 16 and is set to face Kansas State on Friday.