South Carolina women's basketball: Ashlyn Watkins to miss the 2025-26 season

Forward Ashlyn Watkins announced on social media that she will not play for South Carolina next season.

Watkins would have been a senior next season. Her junior season was cut short when she tore her ACL against Mississippi State on January 5. Watkins also missed the first game of the season while she was suspended following an offseason arrest. 

South Carolina keeps a tight lid on medical information, but Watkins was reportedly progressing well in her rehab. At the Final Four, Dawn Staley said that they hoped to have Watkins back on the court this summer. Still, it is unlikely that Watkins would have been ready to play at the beginning of the season, and certainly not at full strength.

“With everything that’s happened this year, I’m going to take some time off to focus on myself, my faith, and my family, so that I can grow as an individual and attempt to master this journey of life,” Watkins said in an Instagram post.

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“I’m so grateful for my coaches, the USC medical team, my teammates, and everyone who’s supported me along the way,” she continued. “For now, I’ll be cheering on my team and working hard to come back even stronger in the 2026-27 season.”

Watkins averaged 7.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 14 games last season. In 2024, she averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and a team-best 2.4 blocks. She earned second-team All-SEC honors and set a school record when she grabbed 20 rebounds in the Final Four against NC State.

At 6-3, Watkins is the only player in program history to dunk in a game, something she has done four times. She was South Carolina’s best defender during the undefeated 2023-24 season, and the Gamecocks sorely missed her rebounding and rim protection last season. 

Watkins will still have one more season of eligibility.

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