Ashlyn Watkins, the South Carolina national championship-winning forward, was arrested Saturday on accusations of assault, battery, and kidnapping.
According to Richland County online judicial records, Watkins was granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bail. She was ordered not to have any direct or indirect contact with the victim, who was not named in the papers, which also did not include an attorney for Watkins.
Watkins was ordered to keep 1,000 feet from the victim’s home, workplace, school, and place of worship. She would be allowed to go out of the state for basketball games and practices.
She is expected to appear in court on October 25.
According to a warrant issued by the University of South Carolina Police Department and obtained by WLTX-TV, Watkins assaulted the girl by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing.”
According to the warrant, Watkins grabbed up and carried the victim against her will. According to the account, Watkins “grabbed the victim’s head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving.”
According to the warrant, the victim eventually escaped and activated a fire alarm, prompting police and firefighters to arrive at the scene. According to the warrant, the victim received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
A women’s basketball spokesperson told The Associated Press via text that the school was aware of Watkins’ arrest and was still gathering information. Watkins did not immediately react to a message on social media requesting comment.
Watkins, a rising 6-foot-3 junior, averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds for the Gamecocks last season, helping them go 38-0 and become the first unbeaten national champs since 2016. Watkins also led the team in blocks, with 91.
She was the first athlete in program history to dunk in a game during her freshman year, and she added a second one last season.