USC women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb came to the defense of Mississippi State player Chandler Prater after she faced harsh criticism online for her involvement in the play that resulted in JuJu Watkins’ season-ending injury on Monday night.
Speaking to the media on Friday, Gottlieb made it clear that she did not believe that Prater’s play in the first half of the second-round game resulted in Watkins’ injury.
"There was nothing to me that looked like it had any intent to hurt her.