South Carolina's Ashlyn Watkins to miss rest of season with torn ACL
Watkins, who averaged 7.2 points off the bench for the Gamecocks, suffered the injury during the first half of Sunday's win over Mississippi State
South Carolina's Ashlyn Watkins has suffered a season-ending ACL tear, the school announced Tuesday.
The junior forward suffered the injury in the first half of the Gamecocks' win over Mississippi State on Sunday. Surgery will be scheduled in the coming weeks, per the school.
Watkins has been a key part of a deep South Carolina bench for the past two years. She played in 14 games for South Carolina this season, averaging 7.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.9 blocks off the bench for the Gamecocks.
Watkins did not play in the first game of the season, having been suspended by the program after being arrested on kidnapping and assault charges in August. The charges were dismissed in November, and Watkins returned to the lineup for the second game of the season on Nov. 10.
South Carolina is 14-1 this season following Sunday's win. The Gamecocks slipped to No. 5 in the AP Poll after losing to UCLA in a stunning 15-point blowout in November, their only loss of the season so far. The team has since climbed back to No. 2, while UCLA continues to reign at No. 1.
The Gamecocks host Texas A&M on Thursday, before playing five straight ranked opponents in SEC play, starting with No. 5 Texas on Sunday.
