COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gamecocks basketball star Ashlyn Watkins has rejoined the team following the dismissal of charges against her.
The university confirmed that Watkins rejoined team activities beginning with Wednesday's practice.
Online court records showed the charges that had been filed against her back in August were dropped as of November 1. The records also indicate she completed PTI, or pre-trial intervention. That's a program that is sometimes offered to first-time offenders where they can avoid a charge if they complete several court-ordered requirements.
Watkins was arrested on August 31 following an incident at 650 Lincoln, an on campus-student housing building at the school. Arrest warrants stated Watkins assaulted the victim by "forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her." She was charged with assault and kidnapping.
Watkins is a junior on the women's team and is expected to be a key component of the team's defense of their national championship. She is a Columbia native and graduated from Cardinal Newman High School. The 6-foot-3 forward led the Southeastern Conference with 91 blocks last season and averaged 9.2 points a game. She was second behind WNBA first-round pick Kamilla Cardoso on the team with 7.4 rebounds a game.
