COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina national championship-winning forward Ashlyn Watkins was arrested Saturday on suspicion of assault and kidnapping.
Watkins was given a $30,000 personal bond, according to Richland County online court records.
She was ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim, whose name is not on the record, nor is the name of Watkins' attorney on the record.
Watkins was ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from the victim's home, workplace, school or place of worship, but will be allowed to travel out of state for basketball games and practice.
She is due to appear in court on October 25th.
According to a warrant filed by the University of South Carolina Police Department and obtained by WLTX-TV, Watkins assaulted the victim by “forcibly grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing her.”
According to the warrant, Watkins picked up the victim and carried her against her will, and “grabbed the victim by her head and walked her down the hallway, thus controlling the victim's movements and preventing her from leaving.”
The victim was eventually freed and set off a fire alarm, which led to police and fire responders arriving on scene, according to the warrant. The victim was treated for injuries that were not life-threatening, according to the warrant.
A women's basketball spokesperson said in a text message to The Associated Press that the school is aware of Watkins' arrest and is continuing to gather information. Watkins did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on social media.
Watkins, a 6-foot-3 junior, averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds last season for the Gamecocks, who went 38-0 and were undefeated national champions for the first time since 2016. Watkins led the team with 91 blocks.
She became the first player in program history to dunk in a game during her freshman season and added a second dunk last season.
