Ahead of the new season, UConn Huskies star Kamorea Arnold has launched her second annual KK Arnold Basketball Camp to teach kids about basketball. The Huskies star is often compared to Kyrie Irving, whose net worth is around $90 million as per Celebrity Net Worth, because of her flashy playstyle. During the camp, the kids she was teaching received a special gift from the Dallas Mavericks star.
In a video she posted on her Instagram Stories, Kamorea Arnold, or KK, shouted out Kyrie Anthony and sportswear brand Anta for sending them some brand new sneakers, which they gave away to the kids who joined the basketball camp.
“Huge shoutout to Kyrie Irving and Anta for hookis us up with some fresh Kyrie Antas, thank you!” she said in her Instagram story.
She held her basketball camp in her hometown of Germantown, Wisconsin, using it as a platform to launch the next generation of student athletes from her hometown. She grew up there, playing for Germantown High School and winning the Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year Award in her high school days.
The basketball camp is only held for one day at her alma mater, Germantown High School, with those kids attending having to hone their skills, physical conditioning and more. They will also get a free camp T-shirt and a photo with the UConn star, as well as one autographed item.
Forward Ashlyn Watkins has been a player for head coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks for the past three seasons. However, this past season, she was limited to 14 games because of injuries. With very little news coming out about her in the offseason, there were rumors that should could be quitting basketball.
On Thursday, the “Quita Loves Sports” YouTube channel posted a video discussing various things about the Gamecocks. Halfway through the video, the host reads a fan question about whether Watkins is quitting basketball. She shuts that down quickly, stating that she will be back after this season once she is recovered from her ACL tear.
“No, she is not. If you all do not know, Ashlyn Watkins actually had an ACL tear during the year, and so she is out. She is not going to return to play next season. She’s going to return to basketball in 2026-2027,” Quita Loves Sports said (Timestamp 6:20).
“So, no, she is not quitting basketball. She’s not quitting South Carolina. She is rehabbing and she’ll be back next year. The best-case scenario was for her to try to be back at the end of this upcoming college season, but why do that? You might as well just wait a full year.”
Ashlyn Watkins Posts About Her Recovery and Her Plans for the Next Year
After informing fans that Ashlyn Watkins is dealing with an ACL tear, Quita Loves Sports directed fans to her Instagram. In late July, she made a post, talking about her struggles and plans for the next year.
“With everything that’s happened this year, I’m going to take some time off 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,” Ashlyn Watkins wrote.
“I’m so grateful for my coaches, the medical team, my teammates, and everyone who’s supported me along the way. For now, I’ll be cheering on my team and working hard to come back even stronger in the 2026-27 season.”
View this post on Instagram
A POST SHARED BY ASHLYN WATKINS (@AASHLYN__)
Watkins’ best season with the Gamecocks came in her sophomore year. In 38 games, 10 of which she started, she averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.4 blocks per game.
While it is disappointing for Dawn Staley’s squad that they will be without Watkins, they should still be a national championship contender next season. They reached the final last year while Watkins was out with her injury.
This is especially big for Arnold, who is still fresh off her national title win with the Huskies last April. This is now her first camp as a national champion.
Kamorea Arnold Talks About Giving Back to Her Community in Germantown, Wisconsin
When she launched her basketball camp last year, it was widely praised by the community, as KK Arnold is now considered a hometown hero. She spoke with a local Fox affiliate what giving back to her community meant.
“It means a lot just giving back to little kids because I was once in their shoes, so just being able to come back and give back and do little stuff that I was doing at this age with them, just having fun and showing them the game of basketball is much more than it really is,” she said in 2024.
Several kids attended the camp, all of whom were excited to get taught by a hometown legend, with many kids saying that it was really “cool” to be trained by her and that the camp itself was a fun experience.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!