South Carolina basketball standout Ashlyn Watkins, a key player in the Gamecocks’ national championship-winning team, was arrested on Saturday on serious charges of assault and battery as well as kidnapping. The incident has sent shockwaves through the college basketball community.
According to online judicial records from Richland County, Watkins was granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bond. As part of the bond conditions, she was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim, whose identity has not been disclosed in the records. Additionally, Watkins must stay at least 1,000 feet away from the victim’s home, workplace, school, and place of worship. Despite these restrictions, she has been permitted to travel out of state for basketball games and practices.
Watkins is scheduled to appear in court on October 25th to address the charges.
Details of the incident were outlined in a warrant filed by the University of South Carolina Police Department, obtained by WLTX-TV. The warrant alleges that Watkins assaulted the victim by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms, and pushing.” It further states that Watkins picked up the victim against her will and carried her, forcibly controlling the victim’s movement by grabbing her head and making her walk down a hallway. The victim eventually escaped and pulled a fire alarm, which prompted police and fire personnel to respond to the scene. The victim was treated for injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.
The University of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program is aware of Watkins’ arrest, according to a spokeswoman who communicated with The Associated Press. The school is continuing to gather information about the incident. Watkins has not publicly commented on the situation.
Watkins, a 6-foot-3 junior, has been a rising star for the Gamecocks, averaging 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game last season. She played a crucial role in South Carolina’s historic 38-0 season, which culminated in them becoming the first undefeated national champions since 2016. Watkins also led the team with 91 blocks and made history as the first player in the program to dunk in a game, a feat she accomplished during her freshman season and repeated last year.
The charges against Watkins mark a troubling development in the career of a player who has been a central figure in one of college basketball’s most successful programs. As the legal process unfolds, her future with the team and in the sport remains uncertain.
