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Off the court, getting Ashlyn Watkins to show emotion is a losing battle. To wit: after Watkins became the first player in program history to dunk in a game with a stuff against Clemson last season, she was more excited that she had made a three-pointer.
“It’s just something that I usually do, and I had an opportunity to do it in a college game,” Watkins said.
Earlier this season when she came from behind to swat an opponent’s shot over the bench and into the stands, she quietly noted she had actually been beaten on the play.
“She had me at first, then I was like okay, let me just get that.” Watkins said.
Another dunk, the rim-rattler against Kentucky Monday night, and finally Watkins, the former McDonald’s All-America dunk champion, casually showed some pride. But only a little.
“I’ve been doing this in high school. It’s really nothing new to me,” she said. “I did it last year, but this one was better.”
Watkins is probably the only person who isn’t impressed by her athletic feats. Dawn Staley didn’t care when Watkins missed a pair of dunk attempts earlier this season against Morgan State, saying she wanted to see it too.
“Not many people can do it. If you can do it, and there’s opportunities to do it, go do it. I enjoy her being able to,” Staley said. “90% of women’s basketball – probably more than that – can’t do it.”
Count MiLaysia Fulwiley, who has been dubbed a walking highlight reel, among those who want to see more of Watkins.
“She’s a beast,” Fulwiley said after the Presbyterian game. “We tell her that at practice every day. We push her to get her full potential. I feel like she could block every shot they put up if she wanted to. We just keep reminding her what she does best, which is blocks, making effort, just being dominant in the post.”
As stoic as Watkins is off the court, she has had trouble controlling her emotions on the court. The scuffle at North Carolina was only the most recent instance, as Watkins developed a propensity to pick up technical fouls.
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Getting her emotions under control was a priority. Since the North Carolina game, Watkins has gotten better at keeping her temper in check. Her playing time has picked up since then, but that’s only one reason.
Watkins averaged 4.9 points and 3.1 rebounds last season as a freshman, but she largely got by on using her athleticism to make hustle plays and score garbage points around the basket. Over the summer and continuing into this season, Watkins has tried to refine her skills and channel her emotions the right way, toward being dominant.
Signs of the dominant Watkins began over the summer. Someone who watched practice told me Watkins looked “SPECIAL.” A common observation has been that Watkins doesn’t realize how good she actually is.
She is starting to show it in practice, Staley said recently.
“You can kind of see the progression to it. It’s in practice,” Staley said. “Now she’s got to transition that to the game. And she will.”
Everyone agrees Watkins’ defense is ahead of her offense at this point. Her athleticism and combination of size, speed, and strength make Watkins a uniquely versatile defender. She can guard forwards or guards with equal effectiveness.
Against Missouri, when South Carolina had trouble keeping track of Hayley Frank, Staley put Watkins in the game to defend Frank. Staley was so impressed she said Watkins has unlocked her superpower.
“Her superpower is her understanding of what she can do on both sides of the ball,” Staley said. “Sometimes you’ll question this or question that. Defensively we’re able to move her around. She can play guards we can switch. I thought she did a fantastic job on Hayley Frank, like FANTASTIC! Players like that force you to play them. She forced me to have to play her because she did such a great job. Nobody plays Hayley Frank like she played (her).”
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Watkins smiled and deflected the praise when told about Staley’s superpower comment.
“I think my defense has gotten better,” Watkins said. “I feel like I can work on my offense a bit more, looking to score and trying to get to the basket more. She’s definitely talking about my improvement on defense.”
The modesty is refreshing but also frustrating because Watkins’ ceiling is so high. Casual observers may know her best for the dunks, but Watkins should be getting defensive player of the year consideration.
Watkins and Kamilla Cardoso each average nearly three blocks a game to lead the nation’s best shot-blocking team. She is averaging 7.1 rebounds in just 19 minutes per game and has a claim as the best defender on the best defensive team in the country.
The defense leads to offense. As she has more success, Staley sees Watkins’ confidence grow, which leads to more success, a virtuous cycle. Watkins still looks like a bull in a china shop at times, but then she’ll turn around and make a play that someone her size has no right to be able to make.
“It’s experience. It is just confidence. I think Ashlyn has found her superpower,” Staley said. “Although she’ll have some games where she is up and down I think she knows exactly the type of impact that she can have on both sides of the basketball. I think her defense is much more advanced than her offense at this point, but her offense is coming.”
Watkins is averaging 9.2 points and is scoring in a variety of ways. She can score at the rim, off the bounce, or on a variety of mid-range jumpers and floaters. As she looks for her shot more often, it’s scary to think how good she could be one day.
