"Try not to harp on it too much": Dawn Staley gets frank on silver lining of Ashlyn Watkins' season-ending injury 

Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks' bid to repeat as NCAA champions took a massive blow after Ashlyn Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Sunday.

Staley opened up about her reaction to the unfortunate news in Wednesday's media briefing during the Gamecocks' practice ahead of their showdown with the Texas A&M Aggies.

Watkins picked up the injury during the second quarter of South Carolina's 95-68 win. She tore the ACL in her left knee after colliding with a Mississippi State defender. She went down in pain immediately and started holding her injured knee. Watkins tried to get up but couldn't put any weight on her left leg. She needed the help of the Gamecocks staff to move to their locker room for treatment.

A reporter asked Staley if she broke the news to the Gamecocks that Watkins was out for the remainder of the season.

"Ashlyn told them. I didn’t tell them. I gave it to her to tell them," Staley said. "Obviously, they’re saddened by it because she’s an integral part of our team but injuries happen."

Staley then urged her team to move forward and step up in Watkins' absence.

"A lot of times when our players get injured, whether it’s for a shorter period of time or at the end of the season, we just keep it moving," Staley said.

"Try not to harp on it too much because it’s felt, but the more you move on, the more they move on, and our players have to move on," she added.

Staley believes there is a silver lining in Watkins' injury and that her other players will seize the opportunity.

"I feel like other people will step up and play a bigger role for us. That’s the people who didn’t play a whole lot and the people who are in the game and played on a regular basis."

Dawn Staley overcomes Ashlyn Watkins' injury to lead South Carolina to ninth-straight win

The South Carolina Gamecocks showed their depth in the win over Mississippi State, with four of Dawn Staley's players scoring in double figures. Substitute Tessa Johnson had her best game of the season, scoring a career-high 22 points. She did most of her damage from the 3-point area, knocking down 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc.

Tessa Johnson (#5) of the South Carolina Gamecocks talks with head coach Dawn Staley in the second half during their game against the Wofford Terriers at Colonial Life Arena on Dec. 29, 2024, in Columbia, South Carolina. Photo: Getty

Chloe Kitts bounced back after a string of poor performances, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season. Te-Hina Paopao and Joyce Edwards also contributed, scoring 15 and 10 points, respectively.