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, was charged Aug. 31 with 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 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.
Since her arrest, Watkins has been suspended from all team activities. Since the dismissal, the school has not provided an update or information regarding her status.
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.
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This article was updated to add new information.
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
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins has charges dismissed, records show
