Ashlyn Watkins was six-foot tall in fifth grade, which helped her on the basketball court because she towered above other students, even her teachers. In addition, she liked the competitive atmosphere, so at the age of 11 she dunked on a nine-foot rim during a tournament game with her All-Star team. The dunk was captured on ESPN’s camera, and by the next day, it was all over social media. Ashlyn Watkins’s 6-foot-3 father and her coach Danny Nelson III were thrilled with her achievement.

But there’s more to the Watkins family’s unconditional support story, like her mother, supporting her in the NCAA Tournament like a rock.

Ashlyn Watkins’ first cash prize story

Not many people are aware that the South Carolina Gamecocks forward, whose estimated net worth is around $1 million, received her first basketball reward from her father. Ashlyn’s famous dunk in the fifth-grade tournament game placed her among women’s basketball icons like Lisa Leslie, the first female WNBA player to dunk, and Georgeann Wells, the first female collegiate player to dunk at just 11. Her father, Vancito Watkins remarked on her ace moment, saying, “It was kind of amazing, really,” adding that he had given his daughter $100 to try the lowered 9-foot dunk instead of the customary 10-footer. Additionally, the video of her dunking went viral, and she was featured on ESPN’s “SportsCenter.”

Ashlyn began playing basketball with her older brother Tori and father Vancito as they played weekly three-on-three games. In the third grade, Ashlyn begged her mother to register her for organized basketball after which a member of the South Carolina 76ers AAU team noticed her at the parks and recreation league in Northeast Columbia.

She developed her skillset with the 76ers and played with the Gamecock teammate MiLaysia Fulwiley. Ashlyn’s mother, Harriet Watkins, put in a lot of overtime to put her daughter in basketball games. Harriet, a single mother of three girls, Alexi, Autumn, and Ashlyn, was able to manage on her own with selflessness and huge support. The efforts paid off when Ashlyn won the dunk competition in 2022, and became the third female winner of the McDonald’s All-American in the event’s history. She was also named the 2022 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and is currently in a Sweet 16 slated match.

Entry into Sweet 16

Ashlyn Watkins scored 21 points and 11 rebounds earlier this season in the No. 1 South Carolina vs Arkansas match. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 1 Gamecocks destroyed the No. 8 Tar Heels in an 88-41 win on Sunday. Interestingly apart from the 2020 tournament, the Gamecocks have made it to the Sweet 16 10 times in a row and eleven times under head coach Dawn Staley. Moreover, South Carolina needs to defeat UNC on Sunday to win a national championship.

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Ashlyn Watkins has emerged as a crucial forward member of the Gamecocks in women’s basketball being among the five to score in double digits on Sunday. Her journey, which began with dunking in fifth grade to leading a top-ranked team in the NCAA Tournament, is a shining example of what skill, and family support can accomplish. Without a doubt, Ashlyn Watkins and her ongoing influence on the court will be the center of attention as the event goes on.

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