South Carolina WBB’s Chloe Kitts shares encouraging recovery update
South Carolina women’s basketball fans got some excitement Monday thanks to a team social media post.
The team’s official X/Twitter account posted a few pictures of the team practicing. See among the grid of photos? Forward Chloe Kitts.
The senior was shown participating in a drill and wearing a brace on her right knee. The picture hyped up a few South Carolina fans for her return next season.
“Chloe! Can’t wait for her comeback, missed her so much,” one fan responded. “Chole looks good!!!” another said.
Kitts is in the middle of recovering from an ACL injury she sustained in October. That injury caused her to miss the entire 2025-26 season. Kitts shared a brief update on her recovery with the local media Monday at USC’s annual Gamecock Gala.
“It’s going really well,” Kitts said. “I’m six and a half months [out] right now.”
While Kitts feels good and is participating in team activities, she still isn’t a full participant.
“I’m able to do some workouts,” Kitts said. “ Can’t do everything, but I’m just happy to be out there with my team.”
In March, Kitts told The State she has to remind herself that while she might feel great, she has to take her time in order for the inside of her body to fully heal. Kitts has credited head coach Dawn Staley and others in the South Carolina women’s basketball program for helping her get through her recovery.
“Mentally, of course, it was pretty hard,” Kitts said Monday. “But I had my team and my coaches around me just giving me good advice and stuff. But it wasn’t about me this year, it was about them. So I just tried to do everything I can to help them, help us.”
Kitts is one of nine players returning to South Carolina next season. She averaged career-high marks in points (10.2) and rebounds (7.7) per game in her junior season and was named the SEC Tournament MVP. Kitts will be a big piece for the Gamecocks in 2026-27.
What about Ashlyn Watkins?
South Carolina fans also got to see clips of Ashlyn Watkins working out the same day they got to see Kitts participating in action. This time it was courtesy of a video that USC women’s basketball sports performance coach Molly Binetti posted on Instagram.
Watkins was seen working in the weight room with Binetti in the video. Like Kitts, Watkins is also recovering from an ACL injury.
Watkins injured her knee in January 2025 and then decided to take the 2025-26 season off from basketball. Staley in September said that Watkins was taking a true year off and was not enrolled in school.
“It’s very exciting. We missed Ashlyn,” Kitts said. “She’s been in the weight room, so we’re able to see her, but she’ll be back in, like, the next month.”
In February, on the same day Staley confirmed Kitts would be back next season, she said she anticipated Watkins to return to the program sometime in May. Despite not being enrolled at USC, Watkins has still rehabbed with the women’s basketball program. She was seen in the training room throughout the season.
Watkins hasn’t played in a game since Jan. 5, 2025, but South Carolina is hoping she can return to her All-SEC form in her senior year next season.
This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 7:00 AM with the headline "South Carolina WBB’s Chloe Kitts shares encouraging recovery update."
