More than just Ashlyn ‘Swatkins,’ USC sophomore handles new responsibility with grace

Growing up, Ashlyn Watkins was often the tallest person in the room.

As a 6-foot-tall fifth-grader, she towered over her classmates — and sometimes their teachers. She didn’t love sticking out. It worked against her shy nature.

But it worked in her favor on the basketball court. She dominated her peers, boys and girls alike — to many in the former group’s dismay. She enjoyed the competition, the rush, the adrenaline. Finally, a space that celebrated her for standing out.

Watkins has since added 3 inches to her frame. Now a sophomore forward for South Carolina, she isn’t even the tallest player on USC’s roster (that honor goes to 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso). But basketball is still finding ways to enhance her self-confidence.

Every smile, every high-five, every celebratory scream points toward her growth.

“It excites me,” said Harriet Watkins, Ashlyn’s mother. “... It seems like she’s feeling herself now.”

Ashlyn first started playing basketball with her father Vancito and her older brother Tori. They ran weekly three-on-three games with the father and his two sons who lived next door. Vancito bought Tori (who’s two years older than Ashlyn) a hoop when he was little, and Ashlyn — eager to follow her big brother — gravitated toward it.

She dabbled in football and soccer as he did, but basketball ultimately won her over. For years Ashlyn never left the house without an orange ball in arm. She grew in the game, in height and maturity.

“It’s kind of like she was meant for it,” Vancito said.

Ashlyn asked her mom to sign her up for organized basketball in third grade. She started with the parks and recreation league in Northeast Columbia, where a representative for the South Carolina 76ers AAU team spotted her. They spoke with Harriet and Vancito about having Ashlyn play for them.

“She was in elementary school playing AAU basketball,” Harriet said, chuckling at the recollection of her daughter’s unwonted feat.

In the coming years Ashlyn’s participation with the parks and rec league fizzled out and she began to hone her craft with the 76ers, eventually playing alongside future Gamecock teammate MiLaysia Fulwiley. Harriet worked overtime to get her daughter to and from all things basketball.

The Watkins’ efforts started to pay off. Ashlyn was featured on ESPN’s “SportsCenter” in fifth grade after a video of her dunking on a 9-foot rim went viral. At the time, just as she did after dunking against Kentucky this season for the second time in her collegiate career, Ashlyn kept her public response pretty low-key. Yes, she was happy, but she was also humble.

Ashlyn became the third girl in McDonald’s All-American history to win the event’s dunk contest in 2022, joining Tennessee legend Candace Parker and Stanford standout Fran Belibi. Ashlyn also earned the 2022 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year award and helped her high school, Cardinal Newman, to four straight SCISA Class 3A state championships (2019-22).

When Ashlyn started the college recruiting process, she hoped to go somewhere farther than 20 minutes from her high school. Harriet and Vancito hoped she’d stay close to home but were adamant that the decision rested in her hands. After all, she’d be the one to fulfill the commitment.

Phone calls with college coaches pushed Ashlyn beyond her shy comfort zone. And for every school she considered, Ashlyn had to make a list of five pros and cons. She had to look at the academic programs offered and styles of play in addition to the programs’ overall vibes.

“USC ticked off a lot of those boxes,” Harriet said.

Ashlyn is the youngest of Harriet’s three daughters. The oldest — Autumn — is 10 years older than Ashlyn, while the middle sister — Alexi — is five year’s Ashlyn’s senior. Ashlyn and Harriet spent a lot of time together. When they first started traveling for AAU tournaments, Ashlyn often stayed in the hotel room with her mom instead of with her teammates.

“That’s my baby,” Harriet said. “We had a lot of time just us, so we’ve done a lot of things together.”

Harriet describes Ashlyn as a very playful person. On the court she’s known for her assertive blocks, exhilarating dunks and overall physicality. But off the court, by those closest to her, she’s known as someone who loves to smile, laugh and have fun. On the outside, she appears equipped with a hard exterior. But when it comes to her 2-year-old niece Reaux, Ashlyn is a softie.

Her personality and confidence are slowly but surely beginning to show. When she dunked versus Kentucky in January, she clapped her hands together and let out a triumphant roar. On the inbound pass that followed, she flashed a smile.

Harriet believes Ashlyn’s confidence stems from her teammates and being surrounded by people who believe in her.

“I’’m excited about it,” Harriet said. “Because as long as I see growth, that’s what I want. And just seeing that she’s becoming more confident, I love it. Because it’s in her. I know she has it, but she has to believe in herself. And I see that she’s believing in herself now.

“I would always tell her, ‘You have to bet on yourself.’ So I think she’s listening.”

Defense has long been a hallmark of Watkins’ game. She’s currently tied for 9th in the nation with 60 blocks this season, earning her the nickname “Ashlyn Swatkins.” But she’s begun to show her offensive prowess as well, racking up 11 double-digit scoring games in 22 appearances.

Harriet said she and coach Dawn Staley used to talk about how Ashlyn would show flashes of greatness in practice that never made their way to game time. Now, there’s a concerted effort to translate those skills in the clutch.

“I used to just get in and look to pass it,” Ashlyn said after her 11-point, 10-rebound double-double against Ole Miss. “But now I feel like I’m looking to score.”

That is exactly what Staley wants from Ashlyn.

“There’s no question that she rebounds the basketball, she defends like no other,” Staley said. “I think the one element that’s missing in her game is just consistently scoring. And we are being very calculated in getting her the ball and then seeing what she does with it. She’s got to familiarize herself with spots on the floor where she could be effective offensively. That takes experience.”

Ashlyn has gained a lot of experience over the last couple weeks, making her first collegiate starts at Auburn, versus Ole Miss and versus Missouri after starring as USC’s sixth woman. She stepped in initially for a sick Chloe Kitts and now is filling in for Cardoso, who’s abroad for an Olympic qualifying tournament with Brazil Basketball.

The sophomore has handled her newfound responsibility with grace.

“Ashlyn’s a star for us,” Staley said after the Auburn game. “I wasn’t surprised. I think she’s shown us that she’s pretty talented and extraordinary.”

Ashlyn’s not one to get caught up in recognition, but the praise meant a lot to her.

“It feels good because she sees our potential,” Ashlyn said. “She sees what we can do and we basically just prove to her and everybody else that we can do more than what we’ve shown.”

Starter or sixth woman, Ashlyn’s parents are extremely proud of all she’s accomplished and what she’s yet to do. They’ll support her Sunday at Colonial Life Arena when No. 11 UConn comes to town, where watching her never gets old.

“I really love it when I go out there and I see my last name on the back of her jersey,” Vancito said. “I just absolutely love it. Every moment of it. Even when she’s sitting on the bench I’m sitting there smiling. Because she’s worked so hard.”