If Southern California wants to win its first national championship in 41 years, the Trojans will have to find a way to get it done without star guard JuJu Watkins.

They notched their 30th win for the first time since 1986 by walloping ninth-seeded Mississippi State 96-59 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night. But they lost Watkins to a season-ending right knee injury in the first quarter.

She was streaking down the court on a fast break with two Bulldogs defenders nearby when her knee bent awkwardly as she planted her right foot. She immediately crumpled to the court. Watkins had to be carried off, unable to put any weight on her leg. She will have surgery and then rehabilitate, USC said, without specifying her injury.

Next up is the Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington, where the Trojans (30-3) play fifth-seeded Kansas State (28-7) on Friday.

Top-rated women’s hoops recruit commits to Oklahoma >> Aaliyah Chavez, the top-rated women’s basketball recruit in the county, committed to Oklahoma.

She made her announcement the day after the Sooners advanced to the women’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013.

Chavez, a 5-foot-11 point guard who recently led Lubbock Monterey High School to a Texas state championship, picked the Sooners over power programs South Carolina, Texas, LSU and her hometown university Texas Tech. She averaged 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.7 steals as a senior. She scored nearly 4,800 points in her high school career.

NFL

QB Wilson is heading to the New York Giants >> Russell Wilson has agreed on a one-year contract with the New York Giants, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the signing hasn’t been finalized, said Wilson’s deal is worth up to $21 million with $10.5 million guaranteed.

The Giants signed veteran Jameis Winston to a two-year contract last week and have the third pick in next month’s NFL draft.

The 36-year-old Wilson, a 10-time Pro Bowl selection, joins his fourth team in five years.

MLB

Catcher Raleigh and Mariners agree to $105M, 6-year deal >> Catcher Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a $105 million, six-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.

Raleigh’s deal supersedes a $5.6 million, one-year agreement on Jan. 9 that avoided salary arbitration.

Raleigh set career highs last year with 34 homers and 100 RBIs while hitting .220. He has a .218 career average with 93 homers and 251 RBIs in four seasons with the Mariners.

Montgomery to have Tommy John surgery for second time >> Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Jordan Montgomery will have Tommy John surgery for the second time and will miss the 2025 season.

Montgomery told reporters he will be undergoing the elbow procedure. Montgomery said he felt sore after his last Cactus League appearance and had imaging.

Montgomery had a 15.00 ERA over three innings in two spring training appearances, allowing five hits and three walks.

Norby to open season on injured list >> Miami Marlins infielder Connor Norby will open the season on the injured list due to an oblique strain.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough told reporters Norby likely will miss about four weeks.

Norby, 24, batted .236 with a .294 on-base percentage, nine homers, 20 RBIs and three steals in 45 games for the Marlins and Baltimore Orioles last season.

Track

World Athletics to require chromosome testing of athletes >> World Athletics president Sebastian Coe said that track and field’s governing body has approved the introduction of cheek swabs and dry blood-spot tests for female athletes in order to maintain “the integrity of competition.”

The planned changes include reinstating a version of chromosome testing that was discontinued in the 1990s, requiring athletes who compete in the female category to submit to a cheek swab or dry blood-spot test for the presence of a gene that indicates whether the athlete has a “Y” chromosome present in males.

Coe told a news conference that athletes will have to take the test just once during their career.

Men’s basketball

Sacramento State hires former Kings star as coach >> Former Sacramento Kings star Mike Bibby was hired to take over the struggling basketball team at Sacramento State.

Athletic director Mark Orr announced the move on Tuesday, saying he believed that Bibby can help generate excitement for the program.

“Since 2001, Sacramento has felt like home to me,” Bibby said in a statement. “The people, the fans and the passion they have for the city and their teams is unmatched. I have always felt that passion, and will always be thankful for how I was embraced. Sacramento State is no different. ... We are going to build, we are going to develop, and we are going to win.”

Bibby won an NCAA title as a player at Arizona in 1997 and then starred in the NBA for 14 seasons, with his biggest success coming in seven seasons with the Kings. He helped Sacramento make it to Game 7 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Soccer

Defending champion Argentina qualifies for the 2026 World Cup >> Defending champion Argentina qualified for the 2026 World Cup when Bolivia failed to beat Uruguay.

Argentina leads South American qualifying and hosted archrival Brazil on Tuesday.

South America has six direct berths in the next World Cup, a 48-team tournament to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Argentina was assured of one of the six spots when seventh-place Bolivia drew 0-0 with Uruguay in El Alto.

Blatter, Platini acquitted again at second trial of financial wrongdoing >> Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini won again in court and now lead 2-0 in trial verdicts against Swiss federal prosecutors.

Once soccer’s most powerful men, former FIFA president Blatter and former UEFA president Platini were acquitted for a second time in a case now in its 10th year on charges of fraud, forgery, mismanagement and misappropriation of more than $2 million of FIFA money in 2011.

The legal case swung on their claims of a verbal agreement to one day settle the money in question.

Blatter approved FIFA paying 2 million Swiss francs (now $2.21 million) to France soccer great Platini in February 2011 for supplementary and non-contracted salary working as a presidential advisor from 1998-2002.