Dunks in men's basketball are commonplace. But that's not the case in the women's game.
Women's basketball players rarely throw down dunks, even at the Division I level. But during Sunday's national championship, basketball fans will see one of the players capable of slamming the ball home.
That would be South Carolina's Ashlyn Watkins. The sophomore already has multiple dunks in her NCAA caereer, an exceedingly rare feat.
How many does she have, and how uncommon are the they in women's basketball? Here's what you need to know.
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Ashlyn Watkins dunks
Watkins has already dunked twice in her young career. As a freshman, she hammered home a thunderous right-handed jam against in-state rival Clemson for South Carolina's first dunk in program history.
First dunk in program history … how many more to come, Ashlyn? pic.twitter.com/pxleN6xW0z
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) November 18, 2022
"It's just something that I usually do and I had the opportunity to do it in a college game," she said after the game, per ABC 15 News.
In the 2023-24 season, she stole the ball in a January game against Kentucky and took it the length of the court before throwing it down with her right hand.
THE BUILDING. IS. SHAKING!!!@Ashlyn2W PUTS IT DOWN!
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) January 16, 2024
📺| https://t.co/0JOcVMMQoS pic.twitter.com/cb8DwtnbHh
Watkins won the McDonald's All-American dunk contest in 2022, becoming just the third girls' basketball player to take home the victory following Candace Parker (2004) and Fran Belibi (2019).
MORE: Where Watkins' 20 Final Four rebounds rank in March Madness history
There have been nine dunks in NCAA Tournament history, but none have been thrown down in the championship game. Watkins could look to change that Sunday against Iowa.
Most dunks in NCAA women's basketball history
Watkins' two dunks makes her one of just six players with multiple dunks in their career, per the NCAA. She has a long way to go to catch former Baylor star Brittney Griner, who notched a whopping 18 dunks.
She even has a while to go to reach second. That honor belongs to another WNBA star in Candace Parker, who slammed down seven dunks in her college career at Tennessee.
MORE: How many perfect seasons have there been in women's basketball?
Watkins is the third-shortest player to record a dunk. At 6-3, Watkins is taller than just North Carolina's Charlotte Smith (6-foot) and Stanford's Fran Belibi (6-1).
Here's a look at the all-time list of dunk leaders in women's college basketball, per the NCAA.
| Player | School | Height | Years | Dunks |
| Brittney Griner | Baylor | 6-8 | 2009-13 | 18 |
| Candace Parker | Tennessee | 6-4 | 2004-08 | 7 |
| Michelle Snow | Tennessee | 6-5 | 1998-02 | 3 |
| Fran Belibi | Stanford | 6-1 | 2019-23 | 3 |
| Georgeann Wells | West Virginia | 6-7 | 1982-86 | 2 |
| Ashlyn Watkins | South Carolina | 6-3 | 2022-present | 2 |
| Charlotte Smith | North Carolina | 6-0 | 1991-95 | 1 |
| Sancho Lyttle | Houston | 6-5 | 2003-05 | 1 |
| Sylvia Fowles | LSU | 6-6 | 2004-08 | 1 |
Has Kamilla Cardoso dunked before?
Kamilla Cardoso is the most physically imposing star on the South Carolina roster. She stands 6-7, towering over most opponents the Gamecocks will play during the season. She's also four inches taller than Watkins.
Despite the height advantage, Cardoso has yet to dunk in an NCAA game. Can she dunk? Yes. It's just a matter of throwing one down in a game. With Cardoso's decision to enter the 2024 WNBA Draft, Sunday's championship game will be her final opportunity to do so.
