Ashlyn Watkins

Awards

At South Carolina
All-SEC Second Team (2024)
SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll (2023)

High School
McDonald’s All-America
South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year (2022)

In the South Carolina Record Book

Season
1st – Games played in a season (38 in 2023-24)
3rd – Blocked shots in a season (91 in 2023-24)

Game
Most defensive rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game (15 vs. NC State, 4/5/24)

Bio Information

Career Summary

• Part of team that became just third program in history of AP Poll to hold No. 1 spot every week in back-to-back seasons … in 2023-24, team became just fifth program in NCAA history to go undefeated and win a National Championship with a program-record 38 wins and ran SEC win streak to league-record 47 games, which is 10th-best conference win streak in NCAA history
• Has helped Gamecocks to two SEC regular-season titles and two SEC Tournament crowns
• Career averages of 7.3 points and 5.4 rebounds on 55.4 percent shooting with 10 double-doubles and 26 double-digit scoring game

Sophomore Year (2023-24)

• Critical part Gamecocks becoming just the fifth program in NCAA history to go undefeated and win a National Championship with a program-record 38 wins and ran SEC win streak to league-record 47 games, which is 10th-best conference win streak in NCAA history
• Helped team to SEC regular-season and tournament championships, earning a spot on the All-SEC Second Team after ranking second in the league in blocks per game (2.4, 17^th in NCAA), ninth in offensive rebounds per game (2.8) and 12^th in rebounding average (7.4) … led the nation in player defensive rating (67.7)
• Pulled down 9.0 rebounds per NCAA Tournament game and led the team with 2.3 blocks per tournament game
• Became the second Gamecock to grab at least 20 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game with her 20 boards in the national semifinal game against #11/11 NC State (Apr. 5), including six in less than six minutes of first-quarter action
• Scored on two of her five first-half offensive rebounds against #12/15 Oregon State (Mar. 31) in the Elite 8 then dominated the glass in the fourth quarter to help seal the win and finish with 14 total boards
• Added a team-high five blocks in SEC Tourn. title game against #8/5 LSU (Mar. 10) including three in the final quarter
• Scored eight of her 13 points in the fourth quarter against Tennessee (Mar. 3), including six straight in the final 3:15 after the Lady Vols had cut the lead to five
• Scored a career-high 21 points at Arkansas (Feb. 29) with 13 coming in the first half and finished with a double-double
• Led the team in scoring with 14 against Alabama (Feb. 22), including eight in the decisive second quarter en route to her seventh double-double (10 rebounds)
• Swiped her career-high fourth steal to launch a 14-6 run that closed out the win at Tennessee (Feb. 15), finishing with an SEC career-high 14 points and 10 boards for her sixth double-double of the season and third in five games
• Stuffed the stat sheet against #11/9 UConn (Feb. 11) scoring in double figures for the fourth time in the last five games (15 pts) and grabbing nine boards while adding two steals and a team-high three blocks
• Threw down the program’s first dunk in Colonial Life Arena, second in program history, against Kentucky (Jan. 15) as part of her eighth double-figure scoring game
• Added three points to an 8-0 run late in the first quarter against #11/7 Utah (Dec. 10) to build a nine-point halftime lead … stretched lead to eight late in the third with back-to-back putbacks … blocked a shot midway through the fourth to preserve a three-point lead
• Capped her 10-point outing at #24/24 North Carolina (Nov. 30) with a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left to clinch the victory … opened the fourth with back-to-back buckets after the Tar Heels had closed within two points

Freshman Year (2022-23)

• Helped team to program-record 36 wins, including perfect 16-0 slate in SEC action, seven wins over ranked opponents, an SEC Tournament title and a spot in the NCAA Final Four for the third-straight season
• Part of team that set program records for points scored, rebounds and rebounding margin in addition to an NCAA record for blocked shots per game
• Played in 32 games, scoring in double figures seven times, including two SEC games … saw action in 14 SEC games, two SEC Tournament games and four NCAA Tournament contests
• Made NCAA Tournament debut against Norfolk State (Mar. 17), including a team-high three blocks
• Was a force in the fourth against Florida (Feb. 16), putting up nine of her 12 points and 10 rebounds to earn her second career double-double, in addition to a block. steal and assist all in just 16 minutes of play
• Aggressive and efficient against Kentucky (Feb. 2), including four of the team’s first six points in the second quarter
• Was first off the bench against Missouri (Jan. 15) and picked up 10 of her 13 points in the second half, going a perfect 3-of-3 from the field and 4-of-4 at the free throw line in a new career-high 26 minutes
• Scored the last three points of the first half at Mississippi State (Jan. 8) on a 7-0 run to give the Gamecocks a six-point lead heading into the locker room
• Had a career day against Coastal Carolina (Dec. 21), tallying 16 points with half coming in the second quarter, including her own 6-2 run to put the Gamecocks up 30, adding three blocks and three assists
• Posted her first career double-double with a team-high 14 points and 11 rebounds at Cal Poly (Nov. 22)
• Scored 10 of her 14 points at Clemson (Nov. 17) in the fourth quarter on 3-of-4 shooting, including her first career 3-pointer and turning one of her three steals in the period into the program’s first dunk
• Had herself a game against Hampton (Nov. 27), tying a career high 14 points to lead the team for the first time in her career, appearing in a new high of 22 minutes
• Made her college debut in the season opener against East Tennessee State (Nov. 17), netting double figures

High School

• Ranked the No. 4 post player and No. 12 player overall in the Class of 2022
• Named a McDonald’s All-America (2022) and won the event’s dunk contest
• Helped team to four -straight SCISA Class 3A state championships
• Is Cardinal Newman’s all-time leading scorer (1,740) and rebounder (1.341) and amassed 366 blocked shots in her career
• Posted 20.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game as a senior (2021-22)
• Also guided CN’s volleyball team to a state title (2020) and a runner-up finish in 2021