Charges against South Carolina basketball player dismissed
According to the Richland County Fifth Judicial Circuit Public Index, South Carolina women’s basketball player Ashlyn Watkin’s court case was dismissed on Nov. 1.
Watkins, 21, and a key member of South Carolina women’s basketball, was arrested on Aug. 31 on charges of first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping. She was scheduled for a court appearance Oct. 25 at the Richland County Clerk of Court, but that appearance was delayed.
According to the public index, both charges list the deposition as ‘Dismissed Not Indicted’ on Nov. 1 but give no details.
Since her arrest, Watkins has been suspended from all team activities. The Greenville News reached out to a spokesperson for the team Tuesday morning but has not received a response.
According to the arrest warrant obtained by The Greenville News in September, Watkins allegedly assaulted the victim by ‘forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her hair and pushing her.’ Watkins also ‘grabbed the victim’s head, forcing her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.’
The Gamecocks (1-0) opened their season on Monday night in Las Vegas with a 68-62 win over Michigan at T-Mobile Arena. Watkins, a junior forward who played at Cardinal Newman High School in Columbia, had a breakout season in 2023, starting nine games and averaging 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds.
This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin
