South Carolina women's basketball star Ashlyn Watkins was arrested and charged with first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping on Saturday following an incident at the student housing center of the university.
According to WLTX, Watkins was detained around 3 p.m. ET and got released about 30 minutes later after being granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bond. Watkins confessed, and the incident was captured on video surveillance.
The warrant filed by university police described Watkins assaulting the victim by "forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her." The kidnapping charges happened because Watkins also allegedly "grabbed the victim's head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving."
I obtained the arrest warrants for @GamecockWBB star Ashlyn Watkins. Incident detailed below ⬇️ @wachfox pic.twitter.com/qX3wNwglJ1
— Claire Foley (@clairefoleytv) August 31, 2024
Police and the fire department arrived to the scene after the unnamed victim got away from Watkins and pulled the fire alarm. According to the warrant, the victim received medical attention for non-life threatening injuries.
Watkins was part of the South Carolina roster that took the 2024 NCAA women's basketball championship. Through the 2023-24 campaign, the 6-foot-3 junior forward appeared in 38 games and contributed with 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.4 blocks.
The university has not yet released a public statement on the incident. The Gamecocks are set to tip off their 2024-25 season on Nov. 10 against North Carolina State.
