South Carolina Basketball Player Ashlyn Watkins Arrested, Charged With Assault And Kidnapping

According to the Associated Press, the six-foot-three Watkins is accused in a warrant for her arrest of grabbing 'the victim’s head' and Watkins allegedly 'forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.'

Ashlyn Watkins, a key member of South Carolina’s national championship women’s basketball team, was arrested on Aug. 31 and charged with first-degree assault, battery, and kidnapping.

According to the Associated Press, the six-foot-three Watkins is accused in a warrant for her arrest of grabbing “the victim’s head,” and Watkins allegedly ”forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.”

According to multiple warrants issued for Watkins’ arrest, the unnamed victim, who was referred to as a minor, was able to eventually escape Watkins’ grip and pull a fire alarm inside the student housing center on the campus of South Carolina. When police and fire emergency personnel arrived as a result of the victim’s actions, the victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries. The warrants also state that Watkins was read her rights, and she confessed to the crimes she’s accused of.

According to WLTX, at the bond hearing later on Aug. 31, prosecutors alleged that the two knew each other. Watkins was eventually granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bond and released at approximately 3:30 p.m. the same day.

Watkins’ attorney, Todd Rutherford, told the outlet that once all the facts come out, it will be clear that Watkins is innocent.

I just spoke with Todd Rutherford who is representing Ashlyn Watkins. He asks for patience and believes that when “all of the facts are out there, that this is simply a misunderstanding” @GamecockWBB @wachfox #Gamecocks https://t.co/Nk7Nnt8L88
— Claire Foley (@clairefoleytv) September 1, 2024

“We believe once everybody has a full grasp of what happened, this will end up being a misunderstanding,” Rutherford said. “What we know for certain is that Ashlyn did not assault anyone and she did not kidnap anyone.”

Despite Rutherford’s assertion, Watkins was ordered by the court to stay 1,000 feet from the victim’s home, work, school, and place of worship. She can, however, travel out of state for basketball games and practices. Watkins’ next court appearance has been scheduled for Oct. 25.

According to ESPN, a spokesperson for the South Carolina University women’s basketball program told the outlet that “we are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information.”

Watkins is a South Carolina native and was South Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2022. Watkins led the national champion South Carolina Gamecocks in blocks and became the first women’s player in program history to dunk in a game in 2022. At the time of writing, Watkins has not responded to requests for comment from multiple news outlets sent via social media platforms.