Who Is Ashlyn Watkins? Everything You Need to Know About the South Carolina Women’s Basketball Star

“We dominate. That’s what we do.” That’s how Dawn Staley’s star Ashlyn Watkins announced their powerhouse. For years now, South Carolina has been producing impeccable women’s basketball players. And while there are many firsts for these standouts, Watkins created a new Gamecocks record for dunking. That too as a freshman.

Since then, the stellar athlete has been a significant part of Staley’s roster. With how well Watkins has been doing, there have been questions about where she’s gotten her talent from. Hence, with the 2024-25 season of the NCAA DI tournaments starting soon, let us walk through the journey of this 21-year-old collegiate basketball star.

Who is Ashlyn Watkins’ father, Vancito Watkins?

Born in Columbia, South Carolina, Ashlyn Watkins has been the rage of the town since her high school days. She attended the local Cardinal Newman High School and divided her interests into volleyball and basketball. Not to mention, her parents always supported her through everything!

Her father, Vancito Watkins, played a major role in her development as a player. A particular incident that comes to mind is Ashlyn’s famous fifth-grade tournament dunk. “It was kind of amazing, really.” Vancito said about his daughter’s achievement. He talked about how he had given her an added incentive of $100 after the dunk. The reward he gave and the motivation he offered lit a fire in Ashlyn that drives her till date.

She led the Cardinal Newman’s volleyball team to the 2020 state title and a runner-up finish the following year. In basketball, Watkins was responsible for leading her team to SCISA class 3A state titles four years in a row. In the class of 2022, Watkins was the fourth-ranked post player and 12th overall. The same year, she also won the McDonald’s All-American, while taking the crown as the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year.

Standing at 6-ft-3, Ashlyn Watkins started dunking in her high school. She won the McDonald’s All-American Dunk Contest and the Powerade JamFest dunk contest to ink her name in the record. As a senior, the young star averaged 20.5 points, 15.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, showing her dominance on both ends of the floor.

She chose South Carolina Gamecocks after wrapping up her high school career on an impressive note. She is their all-time leading scorer (1,740 points) and rebounder (1,341 boards.) Watkins also has 366 blocks in the record book. But even though we’ve spoken about how much Vancito has affected Ashlyn Watkins’ career, one might argue that her mother, Harriet, played a larger role in the star’s success.

Who is Ashlyn Watkins’ mother, Harriet Watkins?

There’s no role in life more essential than motherhood, and Harriet Watkins is testament to that fact. We talked about the motivation that Vancito provided for Ashlyn, but let’s look at the sacrifices that Harriet made for the Gamecocks star.

Ashlyn, by the third grade, had started getting a feel for basketball. She played three-on-three games with her brother Tori and her father, and wanted to move into more organized settings. She pleaded with her mom to register her for the AAU season, leaving Harriet no choice but to oblige. Ashlyn was noticed by a member of the South Carolina 76ers AAU team while playing recreational ball, and honed her skills with the team.

Harriet, as a single mom, had to work tough shifts and overtime in order to support Ashlyn’s pursuit of basketball. However, she did it with a smile on her face. She’s a proud mother, who always posts about her daughter’s achievements on social media. Her investment into Ashlyn’s future started paying off in the young hooper’s senior year of high school. And when Dawn Staley brought her into the Gamecocks program? There was nothing better for the family.

What is Ashlyn Watkins’ family background?

As mentioned before, Ashlyn Watkins attributes a large part of her success to her parents. Both Harriet and Vancito Watkins have been essential in the young player’s development. Aside from her parents, Ashlyn’s siblings have played a huge role in her life as well. She has two sisters and an elder brother, Autumn, Alexi, and Tori.

The love that both Vancito and Harriet gave to Ashlyn has been crucial for the young South Carolina star to develop. Dawn Staley brought in the high school star to her home for the 2022-23 season. As anticipated, it wasn’t long before Watkins brought about her magical moves. The player made her debut on November 8, 2022, against East Tennessee State, posting 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The aggressive and efficient forward averaged 4.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in 10.6 minutes per game for her first season. She also helped USC to program record 36 wins. This included a 16-0 perfect record in the SEC. The Gamecocks swept the SEC Tournament title in 2022 with the aid of the Columbia star and made a trip to the Final Four for the third straight year.

Next year, she was one of the most important players for Staley in their perfect tourney run that ended with them winning the NCAA DI championship. In her sophomore year, Watkins averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. Although she came from the bench rotation to lift the squad, in Kamilla Cardoso’s absence, the coach relied on her. As a result, she started 10 of 38 games that the Gamecocks played and won in the 2023-24 season.

Certainly, she has made a name for herself in Columbia, South Carolina, as a player to keep an eye out for. The support she has gotten from her family has been essential to her development, and we can’t wait to see where she goes next!