Notre Dame women’s basketball: Watson walks away from Irish team

SOUTH BEND — Kellie Watson, who won Miss Basketball honors in Michigan in 2008, has left the Notre Dame women’s basketball program for personal reasons, The Tribune has learned. A knee injury has kept Watson off the court for ND’s last 12 games. The 6-foot-2 sophomore forward played in only one game this season, going scoreless in 13 minutes in the Nov. 15 season-opener against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. “We are all sorry to see her go and we wish her the best,” Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw said of Watson. Watson was unavailable for comment on Wednesday night. Notre Dame is 13-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Irish play Villanova on Saturday at 2 p.m. (EST - at Purcell Pavilion. Watson injured her knee during preseason training. She underwent arthroscopic surgery on Nov. 24 and was expected to return to action in four to six weeks. Last season, Watson played in all 31 games. She averaged 3.8 points and 2.5 rebounds a game. She was second on the Irish with 28 3-pointers. Watson’s top moment last season came against Michigan State. She helped the Irish rally for a 78-72 victory against the Spartans with 18 points. Watson’s six 3-pointers in the game tied a Joyce Center women’s basketball record. She also helped the Irish knock off Purdue last season, 62-51, with a 13-point effort. She averaged 19.1 points and 8.1 rebounds a game in a four-year career at Ionia High School.