Assault, Kidnapping Charges Against South Carolina Women Hoops Star Dismissed

According to reports, kidnapping first-degree assault charges against South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball star forward Ashlyn Watkins have been dismissed.

However, there's no word on when or if she'll return to the team.

The Gamecocks are the No. 1 team in the country and reigning national champions, but their offseason was marred by the alleged on-campus incident involving Watkins. 

In the incident which happened at a student housing center, Watkins was accused of "forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her by her arms, and pushing her" a female and having "grabbed the victim's head and forced her to walk down the hall, thus controlling her movement while preventing her from leaving."

She was arrested Aug. 31 and was suspended from the team on the same day and did not join her teammates for a visit to the White House.

Charges against South Carolina start Ashlyn Watkins stemming from an on campus incident in August have reportedly been dropped.  (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Variety via Getty Images)

However, according to The Post And Courier, charges against Watson were dropped on Nov. 1. According to the outlet, court records indicate that Watkins completed Pre-Trial Intervention. This is a program that allows first-time nonviolent offenders to have their charges dropped if they meet certain conditions.

In September, head coach Dawn Staley confirmed that Watkins was suspended and said that the program would let the legal process play out.

"Nothing’s moved yet," Staley said at the time. "We’re not going to move until her situation’s settled down a little bit. It’s out of her control. It’s out of our control."

Whether or not Watkins returns to the team remains to be seen, but the reigning champs already had to start their season without here. The Gamecocks won their first game of the season Monday night against Michigan by a score of 68-62.