Ashlyn Watkins is back with USC basketball. Will she play Sunday vs. NC State?
Ashyln Watkins will be with the No. 1 South Carolina women’s basketball team Sunday when the Gamecocks travel to Charlotte to face No. 9 N.C. State.
She’ll suit up and be available to play against the Wolfpack, head coach Dawn Staley said Friday after USC’s practice.
“If she’s out here (practicing), she’s gonna play,” Staley said. “Ashlyn won’t start. I can tell you that.”
Watkins, a junior forward, returned to practice and all team activities Wednesday, per a USC statement.
Watkins rejoined the team after an indefinite suspension due to an Aug. 31 arrest on charges of first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping at an on-campus student housing complex, according to online records of the Richland County Fifth Judicial Circuit Public Index.
The charges were dropped last Friday, Nov. 1, after Watkins completed a pre-trial intervention program for first-time non-violent offenders.
Staley described what happened as a “terrible mistake.”
“Ashlyn’s back. We welcome her back,” Staley said. “.... We’re in our very best when we got our full roster, especially healthy. It feels it feels natural. It feels like we’re complete. ... She looks great. She looks natural.”
The 6-foot-3 Columbia native averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds last year for the defending champs. She’s regarded as one of the Gamecocks’ best defensive players and led the SEC a year ago with 91 blocks.
Staley said a main focus with Watkins getting back acclimated back to basketball is with her daily schedule and readjusting to daily practices being part of her routine.
The Gamecocks missed having her on the floor with them. Junior guard Raven Johnson said “it’s amazing” having Watkins back with the team.
“Honestly, her presence is just so big, just the stuff she does. We need her,” Johnson said.
The suspension lasted just over two months, with Watkins missing South Carolina’s trip to the White House to be honored by President Joe Biden for its 2024 national championship, all of the preseason practice and Monday’s season opener against Michigan in Las Vegas.
“The charges have been dismissed, on their way to expungement,” Staley said. “Is it a hard thing for a young person to deal with? Absolutely, it was. It was hard for all the young people that were involved in in the altercation. It’s hard for our university and our athletics department. It’s hard for even the solicitor’s office. It’s hard for her lawyers. It’s hard for everybody.
“But I imagine that this isn’t the first time that has happened on any campus. So you deal with it head on, just like Ashlyn did, and now she finds herself back. We’re not going to keep reliving it. We’re going to keep getting better and making better decisions.”
Next four USC WBB games
- Sunday: vs. No. 9 NC State in Charlotte, 3 p.m. (ESPN)
- Thursday: vs. Coppin State, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Nov. 17: vs. East Carolina, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Nov. 20: at Clemson, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
This story was originally published November 8, 2024 at 3:22 PM.
