Dawn Staley addressed the comeback of junior Ashlyn Watkins to her side (IMAGN)

Dawn Staley addressed the return of forward Ashlyn Watkins to the South Carolina Gamecocks. The 6’3″ forward endured a turbulent offseason as she was arrested on charges of assault, battery, and kidnapping on August 31 in relation to an incident that transpired at a student housing center on the university’s campus.

On November 5, those legal charges were dismissed per Greenville News’ Lulu Kesin, ensuring Watkins could return to Gamecocks practice for this season. While addressing the media amid the team’s latest practice session, Staley sympathized with the hardships Watkins and the university faced, standing by the talented forward.

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“Listen, the charges have been dismissed, okay? You know, on their way to expungement,” said Staley (5:40). “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.
“It’s hard for our university and our athletics department. It’s hard even for even the solicitor’s office, hard for the lawyers, hard for everybody. But, I imagine that this is the first time that it’s happened on any campus, so you deal with it head on, just like Ashlyn did.”

Ashlyn Watkins was a key figure in the Gamecocks’ run to the national championship in her sophomore season. In 38 appearances last season, Watkins averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks, as Staley’s side became just the fifth program in NCAA history to go unbeaten and win a national championship.

Dawn Staley enjoys narrow win in season opener

Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks were made to sweat in their season opener against the Michigan Wolverines at Las Vegas on Monday. The top-ranked team scored a narrow 68-62 victory to begin their title defense.

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks survived the Michigan Wolverines in their season opener.

Chloe Kitts recorded an impressive double-double, finishing with 19 points and 14 rebounds in her 31-minute appearance. She was backed up by Tessa Johnson and the No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2024, Joyce Edwards, who came off the bench to score 15 and 10 points respectively.

The Gamecocks will take on the No. 9 NC State Wolfpack in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 10 at 3 PM ET.