The South Carolina Gamecocks, coached by Dawn Staley, will have an added boost in their frontcourt with athletic forward Ashlyn Watkins set to play in the upcoming 2026-27 season. Watkins was out for the entirety of the 2025-26 campaign due to an ACL tear she suffered back in January of last year. But she confirmed on the Gamecocks’ official Instagram page that she is excited to return to playing at full strength.
Watkins is best known for her slashing and dunking ability, which has gained the attention of the Gamecocks’ faithful. The Columbia, South Carolina native’s athleticism may have been a factor in her major injury, as she suffered it during a victory against the Mississippi State Bulldogs last season, wherein she logged just seven minutes. The injury cut her third year short, but she has now ramped up for her fourth year after redshirting this past season.
“South Carolina’s dunking defensive menace is BACK 😭🔥 Ashlyn Watkins (SR) wasn’t with the team this past season, recovering from an ACL tear she suffered in January 2025. She’s back for the 2026-27 season 🙌 (via @gamecockwbb),” @brwsports on Instagram captioned with emojis.
“ Hey, it’s Ashlyn Watkins. I’m excited to be back for my senior year. I’m ready to get back to work. Go Gamecocks,” Watkins said.
– Ashlyn Watkins, May 13, 2026
After going through a lengthy rehab and recovery process, Watkins sets her sights on helping coach Staley’s team reach the women’s college basketball mountaintop once again. Watkins was visibly present during the Gamecocks’ 2025-26 run, where they went all the way to the national championship game. Unfortunately for them, the South Carolina-based program lost to the UCLA Bruins by 28 points, 79-51.
In contrast to Ashlyn Watkins, Chloe Kitts has yet to announce her return
Alongside Ashlyn Watkins, fellow South Carolina Gamecocks forward Chloe Kitts also suffered a torn ACL in April of last year. This also caused Kitts to miss the whole 2025-26 campaign, and go through the same process as Watkins.
But, Kitts is yet to officially announce her return, in contrast to Watkins. With their 2026-27 season opener still being several months away in November, Kitts is expected to make a full return as well.
Also Read:
5 Reasons Why Ashlyn Watkins’ Absence Will Be Trouble for Dawn Staley’s South Carolina in 2025
Is Ashlyn Watkins Related to JuJu Watkins? The Truth Behind the Shared Last Name
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