South Carolina women's basketball: Ashlyn Watkins returns to team activities

South Carolina announced Wednesday that Ashlyn Watkins has returned to team activities. Here's what we know about the situation.

Wait, what happened? To recap, Watkins was arrested on August 31 and charged with felony assault and kidnapping. According to university protocol, she was immediately suspended. Despite some conflicting reports, that suspension has remained in place ever since. Dawn Staley confirmed in late September that there was nothing the university or team could do until there was some sort of resolution to Watkins' legal situation.

Watkins was able to take online classes during the suspension and was still listed on the South Carolina roster, although with a notation that she was "currently suspended from team activities."

Didn't Watkins already have a court date? Watkins' first court appearance was scheduled for October 25th. However, it was rescheduled.

Is Watkins' legal situation resolved now? Yes. She completed a pretrial intervention program and both charges have been dismissed.

So she's back with the team? Yes. It didn't happen instantly, but Watkins is back with the team. She had to be reinstated by the university. Then she had to be reinstated by the athletics department and the team. A little before 1:00 pm on Wednesday, South Carolina announced Watkins had been reinstated. The statement read:

"With the dismissal of the legal charges, South Carolina junior forward Ashlyn Watkins has returned to team activities beginning with practice today."

Watkins will play immediately, right? Not so fast. Watkins has already been away from the team for two months. She's going to need an acclimation period to get back into game shape. Watkins also could still be subject to some internal discipline from Staley. She might not play right away, either as part of additional discipline or

Is this a big deal for the Gamecocks? Huge. They had no rim protection against Michigan – the leading shot blockers were guards Raven Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley – and Michigan's five-guard lineup equaled South Carolina with 52 rebounds. Watkins averaged 2.4 blocks and 7.4 rebounds last season and would immediately help fix both issues.

What does this mean for Watkins? She had All-American potential and a future in the WNBA all put on hold. She gets that back. But she also made a bad mistake and did damage to her reputation that she is going to have to answer for.

What's next? South Carolina plays #9 NC State on Sunday in Charlotte. Staley typically meets with the media on Fridays before Sunday games. She should provide a further update then. Watkins will certainly be requested, but may not speak to the media then.