Ashlyn Watkins returns to team activities, practice with South Carolina women’s basketball
COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball junior forward Ashlyn Watkins has returned to team activities, beginning with practice on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the team told The Greenville News on Wednesday.
Watkins, 21, was charged on Aug. 31 with first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping. Following her arrest, she was suspended from all team activities.
According to the the Richland County Fifth Judicial Circuit Public Index, both charges were listed as “Dismissed Not Indicted” on Nov. 1. The records said that Watkins completed Pre-Trial Intervention, a program that provides a second chance to first-time offenders. According to the Fifth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office, participants are required to perform community service, make restitution to their victims and to participate in individual and group counseling.
The Gamecocks (1-0) opened their season Monday night in Las Vegas with a 68-62 win over Michigan at T-Mobile Arena. Watkins, a 6-foot-3 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.
South Carolina plays Sunday against N.C. State (3 p.m., ESPN), a rematch from the 2024 Final Four. The school has not announced if Watkins will play Sunday.
Coach Dawn Staley has not spoken publicly about the situation since Sept. 24.
“Status is still the same, nothing’s moved yet and we’re not going to move until her situation settles down a little bit,” Staley said Sept. 24 during the first media availability for the 2024-25 season. “It’s out of her control, out of our control.”
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
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