USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

[JeannoCT]

Awful to hear that.

 

[VAUConnFan]

Ashlyn Watkins' presence is irreplaceable. South Carolina is going to have to find ways to score more points per game because they will be giving up more points per game.

 

[darrell]

We here on the Boneyard know this feeling all too well. Wishing Ashlyn an absolute speedy recovery. I’m sure she’ll come back better and just as hungry as ever.

Joyce Edwards, your time is now.

 

[Vowelguy]

Watkins wasnt a starter and was one of 6 players averaging 16-19 mins, plus 4 going 20+ min.
No injury is ever good, but is this really a huge loss?

 

[visitingcock]

Watkins wasnt a starter and was one of 6 players averaging 16-19 mins, plus 4 going 20+ min.
No injury is ever good, but is this really a huge loss?

Team’s best athlete. Covers more ground defensively than any other player. Does not get intimidated.

Yeah, it’s a major loss. Insurmountable? Maybe not.

The timing is rough. Starting Sunday, we play five ranked teams consecutively. A number of tough bigs in that stretch.

 

[darrell]

Team’s best athlete. Covers more ground defensively than any other player. Does not get intimidated.

Yeah, it’s a major loss. Insurmountable? Maybe not.

The timing is rough. Starting Sunday, we play five ranked teams consecutively. A number of tough bigs in that stretch.

Texas, for one, will for sure be a tougher matchup with Ashlyn out. The Oklahoma & LSU games will also be a huge test without her. Aaliyah Moore, Raegan Beers and Morrow tend to have their way against players who aren’t as physical as them.

 

[Vowelguy]

Team’s best athlete. Covers more ground defensively than any other player. Does not get intimidated.

Yeah, it’s a major loss. Insurmountable? Maybe not.

The timing is rough. Starting Sunday, we play five ranked teams consecutively. A number of tough bigs in that stretch.

Thank you for the insight.

 

[bballnut90]

Watkins wasnt a starter and was one of 6 players averaging 16-19 mins, plus 4 going 20+ min.
No injury is ever good, but is this really a huge loss?

Yeah it’s a huge loss when looking at title chances. She’s by far the team’s best interior defender and SC’s best lineups always had her in them. If they have to matchup with UCLA again they’ll have a much tougher trying to stop Betts without her.

All that said, SC is deep and tall. They still have 6-4 Feagin, 6-5 Tac, 6-3 Edwards and 6-4 Dauda but none provide the defense needed that Watkins does.

The timing of this injury is additionally tough since it likely means Watkins won’t be healthy most of next season either.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Watkins wasnt a starter and was one of 6 players averaging 16-19 mins, plus 4 going 20+ min.
No injury is ever good, but is this really a huge loss?

I think it's a loss because of what Ashlyn brings in one package (athleticism and defense).

I also think that the loss is being oversold a bit--mainly by opposing fans. As good as she is (and could become at some point in her career), she is not A'ja Wilson/Aliyah Boston/Kamilla Cardoso tier. She was not on the fast track to becoming that type of talent, either. Ashlyn is a big loss, but this loss is not "insurmountable" and she is not an "irreplaceable" player. What this means is that other players will have to cover what she brings. Joyce will bring the energy and athleticism, but her positional defense will have to improve (and it will--she's a hard worker and a quick learner). Shot blocking will have to come from Adhel and Maryam. Most importantly, perimeter defense will have to go up a notch.

I do agree that the timing is rough.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

This is sad news and it will definitely be much harder to win the NCAAT without her. I hope it's an easy recovery for her.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I wish the best for Ashlyn in her recovery. I think the team will be okay eventually, but I hope that she'll be okay without basketball temporarily.

 

[SCGamecock]

The time is now for A LOT of players on SC's roster. Some that needed to step up YESTERDAY.

Adhel, the time is now honestly. Dawn has been easing her along thus far. It may be time to put her in overdrive. This is also an opportunity for Feagin. She's shown glimpses but she's not the defensive presence that Watkins is, but she IS a more dynamic scorer. We need that now more than ever.

 

[ucbart]

Yeah it’s a huge loss when looking at title chances. She’s by far the team’s best interior defender and SC’s best lineups always had her in them. If they have to matchup with UCLA again they’ll have a much tougher trying to stop Betts without her.

All that said, SC is deep and tall. They still have 6-4 Feagin, 6-5 Tac, 6-3 Edwards and 6-4 Dauda but none provide the defense needed that Watkins does.

The timing of this injury is additionally tough since it likely means Watkins won’t be healthy most of next season either.

Is she a draft eligible junior? If she is, would it behoove her to have go in the draft this year, where a team could use a late 1st round pick on her, and then have her 17 months post surgery for the start of the 2026 season? It's awful timing for this season and for next. I'm so tired of these injuries.

 

[sivad40]

Is she a draft eligible junior? If she is, would it behoove her to have go in the draft this year, where a team could use a late 1st round pick on her, and then have her 17 months post surgery for the start of the 2026 season? It's awful timing for this season and for next. I'm so tired of these injuries.

Yes she is eligible for the upcoming draft.

 

[bballnut90]

Is she a draft eligible junior? If she is, would it behoove her to have go in the draft this year, where a team could use a late 1st round pick on her, and then have her 17 months post surgery for the start of the 2026 season? It's awful timing for this season and for next. I'm so tired of these injuries.

She's eligible but I doubt she'd declare knowing she'll sit the full 2025 season. Realistically she could come back end of 2025 or early 2026, similar to Fudd this season. Waiting a year and playing at SC for half a season, getting her degree, then going pro, is a better alternative IMO than missing a year and a half of playing and trying to get up to speed in training camp.

If healthy she's a potential lottery pick too. Players with her size and athletic ability don't come around too often.

 

[Vowelguy]

She's eligible but I doubt she'd declare knowing she'll sit the full 2025 season. Realistically she could come back end of 2025 or early 2026, similar to Fudd this season. Waiting a year and playing at SC for half a season, getting her degree, then going pro, is a better alternative IMO than missing a year and a half of playing and trying to get up to speed in training camp.

If healthy she's a potential lottery pick too. Players with her size and athletic ability don't come around too often.

I also wonder if there's better medical care/rehab/health insurance when you're on scholarship at a university vs wnba player.

 

[ucbart]

She's eligible but I doubt she'd declare knowing she'll sit the full 2025 season. Realistically she could come back end of 2025 or early 2026, similar to Fudd this season. Waiting a year and playing at SC for half a season, getting her degree, then going pro, is a better alternative IMO than missing a year and a half of playing and trying to get up to speed in training camp.

If healthy she's a potential lottery pick too. Players with her size and athletic ability don't come around too often.

Fudd was back early December. This is more of an Aubrey Griffin situation in terms of timing. The difference is, Watkins is a top 5 pick, Aubrey Griffin isn't.

 

[VAUConnFan]

What makes Watkins so special is that she does not have to score to be impactful a la Dennis Rodman; rebounds, sets picks, defends, blocks shots, alters shots, can defend inside and on the perimeter, constant motor, on court leadership.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

Not good to hear, but SC has more than enough to compensate, no matter what team lies ahead. I don't even think they've played their best basketball this year.

 

[Creature]

Ashlyn Watkins' presence is irreplaceable. South Carolina is going to have to find ways to score more points per game because they will be giving up more points per game.

@VAUConnFan
Thats a pretty broad assumption; this is just speculation on your part -right? Team Defense holds the Opps. To 51 points a game. Not one player imo..

 

[Creature]

Alot of fanbases are gloating at the possibility that our season is over. TBH

 

[visitingcock]

Alot of fanbases are gloating at the possibility that our season is over. TBH

And where have you seen that expressed

 

[Tngamecock]

If we usually played only 6-7 players per game, this would be a season-killer. We routinely play 10 per game… and not just for garbage time at the end of a blowout. If any team is built for this, we are.

We normally play 11 including McDaniel. Although this injury is a step back, I think it could be a plus allowing the two other bigs and Walker to get some meaningful time. We were going to need more height down the road so time to step up.

 

[Tngamecock]

I also wonder if there's better medical care/rehab/health insurance when you're on scholarship at a university vs wnba player.

South Carolina has one of the top orthopedic doctors in the world on staff. Care much better at school

 

[GamecockFam]

Replacing her defense and rebounding will be a group effort. We need the guards to be more sharp on their perimeter defense and to help with rebounding. We need Tac, Walker and Dauda to step up and have at least one of them become a dependable fourth option.

Based on what I've seen we'll probably see that Edwards/Feagin/Kitts will have increased minutes and Tac will play some more meaningful minutes as that fourth option. I'm hoping the light clicks for Dauda because of her experience from Arkansas in this league.