COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina Gamecocks forward Ashlyn Watkins remains suspended from the team while her legal proceedings continue following her arrest last weekend.
News19 asked for an update about her status Thursday, and a spokesperson for the university's athletics department confirmed that Watkins' suspension from team activities remains in place. University of South Carolina athletic department policy states that a student-athlete is automatically suspended following an arrest.
The suspension comes as the team prepares to travel to the White House on Tuesday to be honored for winning the national championship.
Watkins was arrested early on the morning of Aug. 31 following an incident at 650 Lincoln, an on-campus student housing building at the school. An arrest warrant from the university police department stated Watkins grabbed the victim's face, pulled her arm, and pushed her. The warrant went on to state Watkins also picked up the victim against her will, carried her, and forced her to walk down a hall.
The warrant stated that the victim eventually got away and pulled a fire alarm, which led to the arrival of police and fire personnel. She was treated for injuries the warrant described as not life-threatening.
News19 also requested an incident report filed in the investigation, which the school provided Tuesday. It revealed that the alleged victim in the incident went to the housing building to visit friends, including Watkins. At some point, the two began arguing. In both the report and a bond hearing after her arrest, law enforcement referred to the victim as a minor.
After the arrest, Watkins' attorney, Todd Rutherford, said he and his client are asking for the public's patience.
“We believe once everybody has a full grasp of what happened, this will end up being a misunderstanding," Rutherford said. "What we know for certain is that Ashlyn did not assault anyone and she did not kidnap anyone."
According to online records, her next court appearance is set for Oct. 25.
Watkins is a junior on the women's team and was a leading contributor during their most recent national championship run. She is a Columbia native and graduated from Cardinal Newman High School.