Yolanda Watkins

Yolanda Watkins was born in Decatur, Alabama during the 1970s.{{cite news |last1=Sims |first1=Tommy |title=Tide's Watkins potential headache for Connecticut |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=March 23, 1995 |page=1D}}{{cite news |last1=Aiello |first1=John |title=Hot ticket |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=July 15, 1992 |page=1D}} Religion and basketball were her childhood interests.{{cite news |last1=Sims |first1=Kelvin |title=Bama's Watkins came back for a reason |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=March 20, 1997 |page=4B}}{{cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=Vince |title=Sington Award-winning teen keeps level head |work=Birmingham Post-Herald |date=May 22, 1992 |page=C3}} In 1989, Watkins began her girls basketball experience at Decatur High School.{{cite web |title=Girls Basketball Records |url=https://www.ahsaa.com/Sports/Winter/Basketball/Girls-Basketball-Records |website=Alabama High School Athletic Association |access-date=August 27, 2023 |date=June 7, 2023}} With Decatur, Watkins won the 6A division as an Alabama High School Athletic Association competitor in 1990 and was the Most Valuable Player.{{cite news |title='Yo-Yo' too much to handle |work=The Selma-Times Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=March 5, 1990 |page=12}} It was the first time that Decatur won the 6A event held by the AHSAA.{{cite web |title=Girls Basketball State Championship Game Results |website=Alabama High School Athletic Association |url=https://www.ahsaa.com/Templates/Girls-Basketball-State-Championship-Game-Results |access-date=August 27, 2023}} Her team re-won the 6A division in 1991 and 1992.{{cite news |title=Ranburne rallies late to win girls state title |work=The Dothan Eagle |agency=The Associated Press |date=March 18, 1991 |page=3-B}}{{cite news |title=Decatur claims third straight 6A title |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |agency=Associated Press reports |date=March 15, 1992 |page=5B}} With Decatur, she had the nicknames "Yo-Yo" and "Yo".{{cite news |last1=Aiello |first1=John |title=Carver girls await game with Decatur |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=March 12, 1992 |page=1B}}

Overall, Watkins had 1995 rebounds while accumulating 2801 points by 1992.{{cite news |title=Watkins named best in state |work=The Dothan Eagle |agency=The Associated Press |date=March 25, 1992 |page=1-B}} That year, Watkins led these two career categories in girls basketball for Alabama. Watkins continued to lead in rebounds until she was surpassed by Candace Byrd in 2000.{{cite news |title=Rebounding record broken |work=The Ledger-Enquirer |agency=Staff, wire reports |date=February 9, 2000 |location=Columbus, Georgia |page=B2}} During the early 2020s, she was in the top five for most rebounds and top thirty for most points by an AHSAA girls basketball player. As an American girls basketball player, she was number two for most rebounds in 1992.{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Alan |title=Top female basketball player to go with Crimson Tide |work=The Prattville Progress |date=April 25, 1992 |page=Thirteen}} By the mid 2000s, her career rebounds was in the top five as a National Federation of State High School Associations player.{{cite web |title=Record Book Result |url=https://www.nfhs.org/RecordBook/Record-book-result.aspx?CategoryId=1525 |website=National Federation of State High School Associations |at=Basketball - Girls Individual Offense Most Rebounds Career |access-date=January 13, 2024}}

As an AAU competitor, Watkins participated at the 1990 AAU Junior Olympic Games.{{cite news |title=Starters fall to Alabama |work=Record-Journal |date=July 8, 1990 |location=Meriden, Connecticut |page=D-11}} That year, she won the 16U title with the Alabama All Stars.{{cite news |title=Top prospect offers firm commitment to Alabama |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=August 4, 1991 |page=5B}} In 1991, she won the 18U event with the Tennessee CJs.{{cite news |title=CJs win national AAU basketball title |work=The Tennessean |date=July 7, 1991 |page=2-C}} Watkins was named Most Valuable Player for both of these national AAU events.{{cite web |title=1990 Girls' Basketball 16:u |url=https://image.aausports.org/sports/girlsbasketball/results/1990/16u.html |website=Amateur Athletic Union |access-date=August 27, 2023}}{{cite web |title=1991 Girls' Basketball 18:u |url=https://image.aausports.org/sports/girlsbasketball/results/1991/18u.html |website=Amateur Athletic Union |access-date=August 27, 2023}} In 1992, she wanted to become an Olympian while she was "an instructor at the Blue-Gray girls basketball camp".

That year, the University of Alabama gave her an athletic scholarship. With Alabama, Watkins played in the semi-finals of the 1993 SEC women's basketball tournament.{{cite news |title=Georgia women make SEC final |work=The Macon Telegraph |agency=The Associated Press |date=March 8, 1993 |page=1C}} Watkins and her team reached the Final Four at the 1994 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.{{cite news |title=Louisiana Tech beats Alabama, to go for 3rd title |work=The Kansas City Star |agency=Star News Service |date=April 3, 1994 |page=C-5}}{{cite news |last1=Woody |first1=Paul |title=Techsters' defense smothers 'Bama |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=April 3, 1994 |page=S2}} That year, she had the most season points for Alabama.{{cite web |title=Women's Basketball Records |url=https://rolltide.com/sports/2023/1/10/womens-basketball-records.aspx |website=University of Alabama Athletics |access-date=August 27, 2023 |date=January 10, 2023}} During 1995, Watkins experienced a concussion and an anterior cruciate ligament injury.{{cite news |last1=Gonzalez |first1=Javier |title=Tide Star Hurt |work=The Tennessean |date=July 21, 1995 |page=2C}}

She underwent surgery and rehabilitation throughout 1995 for her knee injury.{{cite news |last1=Tutor |first1=Phillip |title=Tough Decision |work=The Anniston Star |date=October 10, 1995 |page=5B}} Watkins resumed playing in 1996.{{cite news |last1=Greenberg |first1=Mel |title=Stanford all business in defeating Alabama |work=The Philadelphia Inquirer |date=November 18, 1996 |page=F3}} She experienced tendinitis the following year.{{cite news |last1=Sims |first1=Kelvin |title=Recent losses silence Bama women's Final Four talk |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=February 4, 1997 |page=2C}} After ending her time at Alabama in 1997, her 1096 rebounds and 187 blocks had remained as Alabama career records by 2017.{{cite web |title=Alabama Women's Basketball Heads to Georgia Southern for First Road Trip of 2017-18 |url=https://rolltide.com/news/2017/11/18/alabama-womens-basketball-heads-to-georgia-southern-for-first-road-trip-of-2017-18.aspx |website=University of Alabama Athletics |access-date=November 8, 2023 |date=November 18, 2017}} Watkins's block record was surpassed by Ashley Knight in 2019.{{cite web |title=Career Days for Davis and Abrams Leads Alabama Past Undefeated North Carolina, 83-77 |url=https://rolltide.com/news/2019/12/15/womens-basketball-career-days-for-davis-and-abrams-leads-alabama-past-undefeated-north-carolina-83-77.aspx |website=University of Alabama Athletics |access-date=November 8, 2023 |date=December 15, 2019}} During 2023, she was leading in rebounds while her 1778 career points was in the top five.

While at Alabama during 1997, Watkins had decided to not play women's basketball and instead become a student teacher.{{cite news |last1=Tutor |first1=Phillip |title=On The Court |work=The Anniston Star |date=April 22, 1997 |page=3B}} Watkins went to Tuscaloosa County that year for training and taught children.{{cite news |last1=McLellan |first1=Bruce |title=Decatur's Yo walks last step to degree |work=Decatur Daily |date=December 18, 1997 |page=B1}} The following year, she returned to the university and worked in strength training as a graduate assistant.{{cite news |title=Yo's map to Final Four |work=Decatur Daily |date=March 13, 1998 |page=D1}} During 2011, she was a Wayne's Farms executive while also working as a caregiver.{{cite news |last1=Edwards |first1=Mark |title=Love and basketball |work=Decatur Daily |date=May 16, 2011 |page=n.p}} Watkins was "a supervisor of group homes" with the Alabama Department of Mental Health in 2017.{{cite news |last1=Elwell |first1=David |title=Dream career for Decatur's Yolanda Watkins |work=The Decatur Daily |date=March 26, 2017 |page=1}} By 2019, Yolanda Watkins Smith had an intellectual disability position in Virginia.{{cite news |last1=Hopf |first1=Becky |title=Season to remember |url=https://www.tuscaloosanews.com/story/sports/2019/01/17/alabama-celebrates-25th-anniversary-of-final-four-womens-basketball-team/6265098007/ |access-date=November 8, 2023 |work=The Tuscaloosa News |date=January 17, 2019}}

Watkins was on the High School All-America Girls Basketball Team in 1990 and 1991 for Parade.{{cite news |last=Cohen |first=Haskell |title=Meet Parade's High School All-America Girls' Basketball Team |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=March 10, 1990 |at=sec. Parade Magazine p. 10}}{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Haskell |title=Parade's High School All-America Girls Basketball Team |work=The Indianapolis Star |date=March 10, 1991 |at=sec. Parade Magazine p. 8}} She was selected for a Kodak All-America team in 1992.{{cite news |title=Kodak All-American players |work=The Jackson Sun |date=March 11, 1992 |page=2B}} From the Alabama Sports Writers Association, Watkins was player of the year in 1991 for 6A schools.{{cite news |last1=Aiello |first1=John |title=Carver duo named to 6A All-State team |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=March 24, 1991 |page=5BB}}

During 1992, Watkins was both player of the year for 6A schools and Alabama Miss Basketball from the ASWA.{{cite news |title=Lauderdale gets top basketball honors for girls |work=The Selma Times-Journal |agency=Associated Press |date=March 23, 1992 |page=12}}{{cite news |last1=Adams |first1=Neil |title=Watkins named Miss Basketball |work=The Montgomery Advertiser |date=March 25, 1992 |page=1B}} Watkins was also the Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year for Alabama.{{cite web |title=Yolanda Watkins |url=https://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/winner/yolanda-watkins/25542 |website=Gatorade Player of the Year |access-date=August 26, 2023}} As an American girls basketball player, Watkins received the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award.{{cite news |last1=Melick |first1=Ray |title=Yo highness |work=Birmingham Post-Herald |date=March 12, 1997 |page=D1}} She also was the Player of the Year for USA Today and Parade.{{cite news |title=USA TODAY girls' players and coaches of year |url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/girls-honors.htm |access-date=August 28, 2023 |work=USA Today |date=May 20, 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060116143914/https://www.usatoday.com/sports/preps/basketball/girls-honors.htm |archive-date=January 16, 2006}}{{cite news |last1=Cohen |first1=Haskell |title=Meet Parade's All-America High School Girls Basketball Team |work=Parade Magazine |publisher=The Sacramento Bee |date=March 8, 1992 |page=16}}

In 2003, Watkins became part of the 30-Year Anniversary Team created by the Birmingham Tip-Off Club.{{cite web |title=Samford's Beard Named to 30th Anniversary Team |url=https://samfordsports.com/story.aspx?filename=020503aaa_272&file_date=2/5/2003&path=mbball |website=Samford University Athletics |access-date=August 26, 2023 |date=February 5, 2003}} She became a SEC Great for the Southeastern Conference in 2004.{{cite web |title=Ole Miss' Kimsey O'Neal Cooper Honored As SEC Great |url=https://olemisssports.com/news/2005/3/2/Ole_Miss_Kimsey_O_Neal_Cooper_Honored_As_SEC_Great |website=Ole Miss Athletics |access-date=November 3, 2023 |date=March 2, 2005}} That year, Watkins was also one of the top Alabama participants at the SEC Tournament according to The Tennessean.{{cite news |title=The Brightest Stars During The Tournament's First 25 Years |work=The Tennessean |date=March 4, 2004 |page=6C}} She joined the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.{{cite web |title=2017 Inductee -- Yolanda Watkins |url=https://mcshof52.com/hall-of-fame/inductees-by-year/2017-inductees/2017-inductee-yolanda-watkins/ |website=Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528220642/https://mcshof52.com/hall-of-fame/inductees-by-year/2017-inductees/2017-inductee-yolanda-watkins/ |archive-date=May 28, 2023 |access-date=November 3, 2023}} During 2022, Alabama chose her as one of "50 women who have blazed the trails and become legends in athletics".{{cite web |title=50 Years of Title IX |url=https://rolltide.com/sports/2022/10/24/50-years-of-title-ix.aspx |website=University of Alabama Athletics |access-date=November 8, 2023 |date=October 24, 2022}}

{{reflist}}

{{Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watkins, Yolanda}}

Category:1970s births

Category:Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball players

Category:Mental health professionals

Category:Living people

Category:Parade High School All-Americans (girls' basketball)