South Carolina women's basketball standout Ashlyn Watkins has been arrested and charged with first-degree assault and battery and kidnapping following an incident on the university's campus, according to court records. The incident reportedly took place at a student housing center on Saturday.

A warrant issued by the University of South Carolina police, as reported by WACH in Columbia, details that Watkins allegedly assaulted an individual by “forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her.” The warrant further states that Watkins purportedly picked up the individual, carrying her against her will.

“The defendant also grabbed the victim's head and forced her to walk down the hall thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving. The victim eventually was able to flee and pulled the fire alarm which caused Police and Fire to respond. The victim was treated by EMS for non life-threatening injuries. The defendant was given miranda and confessed. The incident was captured on video surveillance,” the warrant read per WACH.

Following her arrest, Richland County records indicate that Watkins was released on a $30,000 personal recognizance bond. She is expected to appear in court on October 25.

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In response to the situation, a spokesperson for the South Carolina program provided a statement to ESPN saying, “we are aware of the situation and are continuing to gather information.”

According to WLTX, Watkins' lawyer, Todd Rutherford, stated on Saturday night that he and his client are requesting the public's patience during this period.

“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.”

Ashlyn Watkins, the talented junior forward for the Lady Gamecocks basketball team, shined during South Carolina's undefeated season en route to the 2023-2024 National Championship. She was a key player, averaging 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.  Standout moments in her career include winning the Gatorade Player of the Year award in 2022 and making the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll in 2023.