South Carolina basketball player Ashlyn Watkins accused of assault and kidnapping

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina national championship winner Ashlyn Watkins was arrested Saturday on charges of assault and kidnapping.

Online court records for Richland County show Watkins was given a $30,000 personal bond. She was ordered not to have any direct or indirect contact with the victim, who was not named in the documents, which also did not list an attorney for Watkins.

Watkins was ordered to stay 1,000 feet away from the victim’s home, work, school and place of worship. She would be allowed to travel out of state for basketball games and practices.

She is due to appear in court on October 25.

An arrest warrant from the University of South Carolina police, obtained by WLTX-TV, shows that Watkins attacked the victim by “forcibly grabbing her in the face, pulling her arms and pushing her.”

The warrant said Watkins picked up the victim against her will and carried her. It said Watkins “grabbed the victim’s head and forced her to walk down the hallway, controlling her movements and preventing her from leaving.”

The victim eventually freed himself and pulled the fire alarm, the warrant said, prompting police and firefighters to arrive on the scene. The warrant said the victim was treated for injuries that were not described as life-threatening.

A spokeswoman for women’s basketball said in a text message to The Associated Press that the school was aware of Watkins’ arrest and was continuing to gather information. Watkins did not immediately respond to a social media message seeking comment.

Watkins, a rising 6-foot-1 junior, averaged 9.2 points and 7.4 rebounds last season for the Gamecocks, becoming the first undefeated national champions since 2016. Watkins also led the team with 91 blocks.

She became the first player in program history to make a dunk in a game during her freshman season, and she did it again last season.

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AP Women’s College Basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll And https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball