An update on South Carolina women's basketball star Ashlyn Watkins' injury
On Sunday, Dawn Staley’s South Carolina women’s basketball team whipped up on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Gamecocks dominated the second half to win the road contest 95-68. USC got big performances from Tessa Johnson, Chloe Kitts, and Te-Hina Paopao to move to 2-0 in SEC play. Unfortunately, though, post player Ashlyn Watkins left the game with an injury.
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Watkins took a foul on a first-half drive and fell awkwardly. She left the game without putting any real weight on her left leg as she favored her knee. Based on an announcement from the team’s official social media page, Watkins stayed in the locker room the rest of the game.
Many South Carolina fans have wondered if there has been a Watkins update since the game.
During her postgame media availability, Coach Staley gave a little insight into some things the fanbase can’t see.
According to Staley, Watkins did not need to leave Humphrey Coliseum immediately to go to a local hospital. Instead, she received some in-house treatment. Other than that snippet, though, the Gamecock head coach didn’t offer any additional details.
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Following that possible optimistic update from Staley, someone close to Watkins provided some additional hope.
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Watkins’ father, Vancito Watkins, took to social media a little later to provide an update. According to the senior Watkins, the Gamecock junior is going to be “fine.” Said Vancito Watkins after texting with his daughter, “She just tweaked her knee a little bit.” Now, neither Watkins is a doctor, and “fine” isn’t an official diagnosis or even a timeline, but that update provides some hope that Ashlyn Watkins’ injury won’t be a long-term issue.
Against Mississippi State, South Carolina played without guard Maddy McDaniel and post player Sakima Walker. In the aftermath of Watkins’ injury (marking the third Gamecock out), Coach Staley leaned on the other eight players in the typical rotation. Both Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda came in late but were not part of the early game plan.
In her 13 games played this season, Watkins is averaging 7.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, and 1.4 steals. She also plays elite (and versatile) defense. If she misses some time, the Gamecocks will have a big void to fill.
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Whether they will be with or without Ashlyn Watkins, Carolina will take the floor again on Thursday against Texas A&M. In what will be USC’s first SEC home contest of the season, the Gamecocks and Aggies will take the floor at 5:00 p.m. ESPN2 will broadcast the game, while the ESPN app will make it available for streaming.
