“I miss seeing Watkins”: South Carolina fans urge Dawn Staley to bring Ashlyn Watkins to the team 

Dawn Staley's South Carolina is once again the favorite to win the national championship. On Monday, the Gamecocks shared snippets from their first practice sessions ahead of the new campaign on Instagram.

Fans were quick to notice the absence of Ashlyn Watkins and quickly flodded the comment section with their concerns.

"I miss seeing Watkins! Bring her back coach!" one fan commented.

A fan comments on Instagram

"Hope to have Watkins back soon 🙌👏" another fan showed concern.

A fan comments on Instagram

"🔥🔥🔥 ladies and I’m praying for Ashlyn 😢," one fan expressed their thoughts.

"mane where is Ashlyn at dawg 😕💔 just aint the same without big bro," another fan wrote.

Fans comment on Instagram

"Where is Watkins? I need to see her on that court," another fan questioned.

A fan comments on Instagram

"My guess is she won't be until the case is disposed of. I think her court date is sometime in October," one user speculated.

A fan comments on Instagram

Per People, the 6-foot-3 forward was arrested last month on assault and kidnapping charges. As per the reports, Watkins lifted the victim without her consent and assaulted the victim by "forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing."

However, Watkins was let go on a $30,000 personal bond. Her next court date is set for October 25. Until then, she is allowed to travel to practices and games outside the state with the team.

Impact of Ashlyn Watkins on Dawn Staley's team

South Carolina junior Ashlyn Watkins came into the limelight last season with her impressive defensive performance.

Despite starting in only nine games for the Gamecocks, recording 20.6 minutes per game, the Columbia, SC native made a significant impact on team's overall defensive execution with 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.

Ashlyn Watkins, the former player at Cardinal Newman High in Columbia, played a crucial role in leading South Carolina to its second national championship in three years.

In the Final Four matchup against NC State, Watkins recorded a career high 20 rebounds to send the Gamecocks into the championship game.

They defeated Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75 to finish their season without any losses. Watkins played 14 minutes in the final, scoring 3 points, getting 1 assist, and grabbing 5 rebounds.

Coach Staley has not made any public statements about Watkins' arrest yet. Likewise, the school has not released a statement regarding the issue or said whether Watkins will stay on the team.