Charges against Ashlyn Watkins are dropped as she returns to team activities

South Carolina junior forward Ashlyn Watkins has officially returned to full team activities on the court after the charges from her arrest were recently dropped.

Back on August 31st, Watkins was arrested and charged with felony assault and kidnapping, due to the arrest, was suspended from the team due to university protocol. Watkins was unable to return to the court until either the charges were dropped or she went through the entire legal process with her court date. She was never taken off the roster and took classes online while she worked through the issue.

What exactly was Watkins arrested for?

Watkins was arrested and charged with first-degree assault, battery, and kidnapping. She was granted a $30,000 personal recognizance bond and ordered to have no direct or indirect contact with the victim, who was not named in any records. Watkins was also ordered to stay at least 1,000 feet away from the victim's home, school, work, and place of worship.

Watkin's original court hearing was scheduled for October 25th, but it was rescheduled.

Will Watkins jump right in?

Even after the charges were dropped, it took a little bit of time for Watkins to rejoin the team. She has been reinstated by the university, which allowed her to join the team and be reinstated by the athletic department.

However, when it comes to playing, it will take Watkins time to get back on the court in a game because he has missed two months. Even as a returning player, Watkins needs to make sure she is in season shape and catch up on anything she missed.

The Gamecocks won their first game of the season against the Michigan Wolverines 68-62 in the Naismith Hall of Fame Series. They play again on Sunday, November 10th against No. 9 NC State in the Ally Tipoff at 3:00 p.m. EST.