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Dawn Staley Peppered With Questions on Ashlyn Watkins' Return to South Carolina Team

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley was asked a flurry of questions about Ashlyn Watkins' return to practice after her legal charges were dismissed.

Grant Young

Oct 16, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Oct 16, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

At the end of August, University of South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball player Ashlyn Watkins was arrested on charges of assault, battery, and kidnapping.

Then on November 5, Lulu Kesin of Greenville News reported that all of the legal charges against Watkins have now been dismissed.

This recent development meant that Watkins — who is projected to be a top-three pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft — was eligible to return to practice for South Carolina, and has since done so.

Before the top-ranked Gamecocks squad's game against NC State on Sunday, legendary head coach Dawn Staley spoke with the media and was asked numerous questions about Watkins' return to the team.

When asked what it's like to have Watkins back on the team, Staley said, per Matt Dowell. "We're at our very best when we got our full roster... So it feels good. It feels natural."

Staley was then asked whether Watkins looks rusty.

"Nah, she looks great... She looks natural."

After a few more questions about Watkins and her acclimating to the team, Staley interrupted another question by asking the reporter, "Where you from?"

After receiving her answer, she said, "Another question," before asserting that she'd come back to questions about Watkins later on.

She then did exactly that after other non-Watkins related questions were asked.

When Staley was asked about the things Watkins will hear from opposing fanbases due to these dismissed charges and how Watkins will be prepared for it, she said, "Listen, the charges have been dismissed... Is it a hard thing for a young person to deal with? Absolutely. It was hard for all the young people that were involved in the altercation.

"But I imagine this isn't the first time that this happened on any campus," Staley added. "So you deal with it head-on, just like Ashlyn did."

A reporter then questioned Staley on the advice she'd give to Watkins when dealing with potentially hostile playing environments.

"Ashlyn will be who she is. She has created some really good habits, and you saw her make a terrible mistake... she's got teammates, she's got coaches, she's got support systems, she's got family. So people are going to be people. And she's going to ignore them."

Props to Staley for supporting her player.

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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