Gamecock WBB signees shine in All American Game
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South Carolina women’s basketball signees Ashlyn Watkins and Talaysia Cooper played in the McDonald’s All American Game Tuesday night, with their East squad winning 95-75.
Both players came off the bench, but Cooper finished second on the East team with 15 points. Cooper, who nearly averaged a triple-double as a senior, also had five rebounds. Watkins didn’t get many scoring chances but showed a knack for setting up her future teammate.
Both players had some impressive moments. Watkins grabbed a defensive rebound, dribbled the length of the court, and found an open teammate for three. They combined on a sequence where Watkins blocked a shot, Cooper grabbed the ball and dribbled through the defense, Globetrotters-style, before passing to a teammate who missed the shot. Later Watkins passed out of the post to Cooper for three. Cooper scored on layups and three-pointers and showed good hands.
Surprisingly for an all-star game, both players played solid defense. Watkins had a pair of blocks, while Cooper wasn’t afraid to hit the court going for a loose ball.
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However, the biggest highlight came the day before the game. Watkins, who has dunked numerous times in games, won the dunk contest. Watkins became the third girl to win the dunk contest, following Fran Belibi and Candace Parker, who she honored with her second dunk.
On her first dunk, Watkins went with a right-handed slam. She donned a Candace Parker jersey for her second dunk, a behind-the-back baseline dunk. Watkins tried a two-handed dunk for her third, but after missing that she went for a left-handed dunk. She won the contest by dunking an off-the-backboard alley-oop.
South Carolina has had numerous players who can dunk in practice – such as current roster member Laeticia Amihere – but has never had a player dunk in a game.
Watkins and Cooper will become the 19th and 20th McDonald’s All Americans to play for Dawn Staley and South Carolina women’s basketball. Every eligible player that South Carolina has signed since 2018 has been a McDonald’s All-American. This was the first McDonald’s All American Game since 2019. The 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled due to the COVID pandemic.
