"Hold it down Grandma Ash" - Bree Hall, Kamilla Cardoso & other WNBA stars show support to Ashlyn Watkins as she announces year off from SC Gamecocks

9 hours ago 1

close

It's not a good time for South Carolina Gamecocks forward Ashlyn Watkins. She announced on Instagram on Friday that she won't play during the 2025–26 season.

"With everything that's happened this year, I'm going to take some time off to focus on myself, my community, my faith, and my family, so that I can grow as an individual and attempt to master this journey of life. “So many of you have shown me love and encouragement, and because of that, I feel like l owe you a little insight into what's been going on. … way. For now, I'll be cheering on my team and working hard to come back even stronger in the 2026-27 season."

Former teammate Bree Hall was among those players who showed their support.

“hold it down Grandma Ash! in due time,” Hall wrote accompanied by a love emoji.
Bree Hall’s comment/Instagram @aashlyn_Bree Hall’s comment/Instagram @aashlyn_

Former teammates, Chicago Sky center Kamilla Cardoso and Atlanta Dream guard Te-Hina Paopao also sent in their best regards with a love heart emojis:

Kamilla Cardoso’s comment/Instagram @aashyln_Kamilla Cardoso’s comment/Instagram @aashyln_
Te-Hina Paopao’s comment/Instagram @aashlyn_Te-Hina Paopao’s comment/Instagram @aashlyn_

Ashlyn Watkins suffered a non‑contact left knee injury on Jan. 5 during a game at Mississippi State. She landed awkwardly, which caused her to collapse and clutch her knee.

The injury made her miss the rest of the 2024–25 season. She appeared in 14 games and averaged 7.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.


When Ashlyn Watkins was arrested and charged

As previously mentioned, Ashlyn Watkins has faced legal issues. She was arrested on August 31, 2024, by the University of South Carolina Police at a USC-affiliated apartment complex in Columbia, S.C. She was later charged with first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping after an incident involving another individual.

According to reports, Ashlyn Watkins allegedly forcefully grabbed the person’s face and arms and pushed them. Additionally, at one point, she carried the person against their will through a hallway.

She was released on a $30,000 personal recognizance bond. Conditions included no direct or indirect contact with the victim and a requirement to stay at least 1,000 yards away from the victim’s home, school, workplace, and place of worship.

However, on November 1, 2024, a judge dismissed all charges against Watkins after she completed a pre-trial intervention (PTI) program. She was reinstated to team activities and returned to practice as of November 8, 2024.

Why did you not like this content?

  • Clickbait / Misleading
  • Factually Incorrect
  • Hateful or Abusive
  • Baseless Opinion
  • Too Many Ads
  • Other

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback

About the author

Ubong Richard Archibong

Ubong Richard Archibong is an NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda with over a year's experience in the field with FirstSportz.

Ubong is an LA Lakers fan, and he grew up watching Kobe Bryant taking on everyone with his Mamba mentality. Ubong's love for the Lakers hit another level when his favorite player, LeBron James, joined LA from the Cavs. Other than LeBron, Ubong likes Anthony Edwards, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Phil Jackson.

Beyond the court, Ubong is a traveler at heart and a Chelsea fan, always ready for the thrill and tension they bring. When not working, Ubong likes traveling and volunteering.

Know More

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer

Read Entire Article