SPOKANE, Wash. — USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb came to the defense of Mississippi State’s Chandler Prater on Friday afternoon, staunchly denouncing the online backlash the Bulldogs’ guard has received this week.
Prater, a graduate student, was defending USC star JuJu Watkins in transition when Watkins suffered what ultimately became a season-ending knee injury Monday night in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. USC fans booed Mississippi State for the rest of the night.
When asked about the situation Friday afternoon, Gottlieb made it clear it was nothing more than an unfortunate basketball play for Watkins, the sport’s biggest star.
“One hundred percent no. There was no intent to injure anybody,” Gottlieb said on the eve of the No. 1 Trojans’ matchup with No. 5 Kansas State in the Sweet 16. “It was a physical game but there was clearly no (ill-intent). No one deserves online bullying in any realm, but certainly not a young woman in Chandler, who was trying to make a play and unfortunately our player got hurt.”
Prater, who currently has comments disabled on her personal Instagram page, was called a “wh—” and a “dirty bum,” among other names on social media and has taken heat for the notion that she sought to hurt Watkins.
Behind Watkins — the presumed favorite for the Naismith Player of the Year award — USC was a favorite to make a deep run in the tournament and earned a No. 1 seed for the second consecutive year. The program announced Monday night that she will undergo surgery and begin the rehabilitation process shortly thereafter. She concludes her sophomore season having averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.
“There was nothing to me that looked like it had any intent to hurt her. That was not a USC view at all,” Gottlieb said. “We have really passionate fans and there’s a lot of love for JuJu and I understand people being sad and hurt that she’s hurt. But nobody in our camp feels like there was any type of attack on her and would not support any type of online bullying or things of that nature.
“She’s a young person that was playing basketball too, and I’m sure (she) did not want any part of a negative situation that it turned out to be.”
Prater, an Oklahoma State transfer, had a season-ending injury of her own just five games into last season. She averaged 22.4 minutes and 6.4 points per game this season with the Bulldogs.
“First and foremost, my prayers and thoughts are with JuJu,” Mississippi State coach Sam Purcell said after the game. “Obviously, we’re competitors. You never want to see that, especially what she means for women’s basketball and a competitor. I’m hoping for the best for her because she’s special. Obviously, she’s special for this team.”
(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)