South Carolina women's basketball: Ashlyn Watkins is officially rejoining the Gamecocks

Forward Ashlyn Watkins is officially returning to the Gamecocks. South Carolina made the announcement on social media on Monday night.

Watkins, who will be a senior, sat out last season. She tore her ACL in January of 2025 and would have likely missed the first half of the season.

The announcement is not a surprise. Dawn Staley maintained throughout the season that Watkins would return. She has been in frequent contact with the team, including working out with Molly Binetti.

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball! 🏀

Because Watkins was not enrolled in classes last season, she could not be listed on the team roster or participate in team activities. However, the Columbia native remained in frequent contact with the team. She worked out with sports performance coach Molly Binetti and on her own.

Birdie is back in the nest ❤️ pic.twitter.com/DbUvMVHdU3

— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) May 13, 2026

Watkins could not officially return until she enrolled in classes again, and she could not enroll until the end of the spring semester, which was last week. May classes began on Monday, although it doesn’t mean Watkins is taking May classes.

Watkins averaged 7.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 14 games during the 2024-25 season. In 2023-24, she averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and a team-best 2.4 blocks. Watkins was South Carolina’s best defensive player and earned second-team All-SEC honors. She 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. Although she doesn’t have the ideal height for a post player, her strength and athleticism allow her to play taller than her size and be effective at either forward position.

At the Final Four in Phoenix, Dawn Staley said the Gamecocks were not planning to add a transfer forward because she was happy with the players coming back, apparently referring to Watkins and Chloe Kitts, who also missed last season with a torn ACL.

The 2024-25 season was difficult for Watkins. She was arrested in the offseason and missed the first game of the season while completing a pre-trial intervention program so that her charges were dismissed.

🏀 GamecocksW newsletter: WBB coverage delivered straight to your inbox!

Two months later, Watkins tore her ACL. In July, she announced she would take the year off to focus on her well-being.

“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.

“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.”

NEW! Message board for South Carolina Women’s Basketball!