"That's out of her control & out of our control": Dawn Staley provides playing status of Ashlyn Watkins 

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley finally addressed the status of forward Ashlyn Watkins after a month of her arrest. On August 31, Watkins was detained with assault and kidnapping charges.

However, Watkins was released later that afternoon on a $30,000 personal bond. Coach Staley who remained silent about the case for weeks gave an update during an interview with Wach Fox's Matt Dowell on Tuesday.

"Status is still the same. Nothing's moved yet & we're not gonna move until her situation settles down a little bit. And that's out of her control & out of our control," Dawn Staley said.

The three-time national champion coach also made sure Watkins is holding up well amid the legal troubles.

As per the reports, Watkins assaulted the victim without consent and ambushed the victim by "forcefully grabbing her face, pulling her arms and pushing."

When asked about what happened, Watkins said the victim was her girlfriend. She told the police that she was there to help the victim get to her car.

As per the warrant, the 6-foot-3 athlete is not allowed to have any contact with the victim. She also cannot go to school and must stay at least a thousand yards away from the victim's home, workplace and any other places the victim goes.

Her upcoming court date is scheduled for October 25. In the meantime, she is permitted to travel out of state with the team for practices and games.

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Dawn Staley names Ashlyn Watkins as the team's leader for the upcoming season.

Ashlyn Watkins did not start a single game in her freshman year, which changed last season as she started in nine games. She averaged 9.2 points, 7.4 rebounds along with 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game for the Gamecocks.

The upcoming campaign will further solidify her position in the team as a starter while also taking on a leadership role. When Dawn Staley was asked about who is stepping up as the leader of the team this year, she picked Watkins.

"I think they'll take turns in voicing what needs to be said out there on the court... Upon Ashlyn's return, of course Ashlyn has a great voice in the locker room," Dawn Staley said (per WACH)

Ashlyn Watkins, who played at Cardinal Newman High in Columbia, had a key role in leading the Staley's team to the national championship this year.

During the Final Four match against the Wolfpack, Watkins achieved a personal best of 20 rebounds that propelled the Gamecocks into the championship game.