Why isn't Ashlyn Watkins playing for South Carolina vs UConn in Women's Final Four?

South Carolina women's basketball is playing in the Final Four once again , and this year's team is missing one of the Gamecocks' stars from the past three seasons. The No. 1 seed Gamecocks (35-3) are facing No.

1 overall seed UConn (38-0) in the Final Four at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 3 (7 p. m. ET, ESPN).

As it has been for the entire season, South Carolina will be without senior forward Ashlyn Watkins , who spent the past three years of her career with the Gamecocks. Why isn't Ashlyn Watkins playing in the Final Four? Watkins is not playing in the Final Four, and hasn't played all season, because she chose to step away from the team in July.

She made the decision in order to "focus on myself, my community, my faith, and my family, so that I can grow as an individual and attempt to master this journey of life," according to a statement on social media. Watkins is also recovering from a torn ACL . She suffered the injury on Jan.