Had Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins not suffered ACL injuries, both South Carolina stars could already be playing in the WNBA by now. Instead, the two Gamecocks spent months working their way back from injuries, having both sat out the entire 2025/26 season.
The good news, however, is that both players are finally back on the court. And while sharing the floor with them again feels a little strange for senior guard Tessa Johnson, it is undoubtedly an exciting reunion as she prepares for her final collegiate season.
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"Chloe and I were in warmups and we were talking, (saying) 'Wow this is a little weird,'" Tessa Johnson said after Friday night's 113-34 exhibition win over Benedict
. "I mean they weren't supposed to be here for my last year, but they are here and I know they're ready and we're excited."
Ashlyn Watkins tore her ACL in her left knee on January 5, 2025, during the first half of a game against Mississippi State. She collided with a defender early in the second quarter, went down in visible pain, and had to be helped off the court by training staff. Although she was initially expected to potentially return midway through the following season, Watkins announced in July 2025 that she would sit out the entire 2025-26 academic and athletic year to focus on herself, her community, her faith and her family.
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Chloe Kitts, similarly, suffered a complete ACL tear in her right knee in October 2025 during a preseason team practice. The injury occurred when she landed awkwardly after jumping for a routine rebound. Kitts initially believed she had only hyperextended her knee, but an MRI scan confirmed the tear.
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Kitts underwent surgery later that month, forcing her to miss what would have been her true senior season and delaying her anticipated transition to the Women's National Basketball Association. She eventually utilized a medical redshirt to preserve her final year of college eligibility, giving her another opportunity to compete for South Carolina before pursuing her professional basketball ambitions.
Both players have now returned to the South Carolina Gamecocks for the 2026/27 college basketball season. And they made their first game appearances since their respective injuries in Friday's exhibition against Benedict.
Specifically, Watkins played 16 minutes without a knee brace and looked physically sharp, recording nine points and 10 rebounds. Kitts, meanwhile, played 12 minutes while wearing a knee brace, contributing eight points and seven rebounds. Although both players are still working to regain their rhythm after their lengthy absences, their performances offered an encouraging glimpse of what they could bring to the Gamecocks this season.
"They haven't really played in a long time and they looked a little rusty," head coach Dawn Staley said. "But the more and more rust that they knock off, the better they're going to be. So it was good to have them to put in the game."
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Reflecting on her recovery journey in an earlier interview, Kitts revealed
that the time away taught her some valuable lessons and helped her appreciate the support from her coach and teammates.
"I just had to learn to slow down. I feel like this injury happened for a reason," Kitts said in an interview with SEC Network. "Everything happens for a reason. It's part of God's plan for me. And, you know, I just had a great support system: teammates, coaches, everybody. They saw I was down a lot, but they just uplifted me."
With the exhibition game behind them, the Gamecocks are now preparing for the start of the 2026/27 regular season on Monday, November 2. Both Kitts and Watkins will have another opportunity to take the court when South Carolina faces the Maryland Terrapins in its highly anticipated season opener at Adidas Arena in Paris, France. Dawn Staley may still gradually ease them into the team, limiting their minutes for that game as well.
For the two returning stars, the upcoming campaign offers a chance to rebuild their momentum after a season away from the court. And for Johnson, having both teammates back for her final year is an unexpected but welcome development.
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