Fourth-year Tennessee guard Ruby Whitehorn was arrested on felony charges of domestic assault and aggravated burglary on August 8, 2025, and the Lady Vols suspended her from the team indefinitely on August 21. The allegations against Whitehorn are part of a disturbing trend that has plagued collegiate and professional basketball: there can be no room for violence in the sport.
Whitehorn's attorney Gregory P. Isaacs has stated she will plead not guilty at her first hearing on September 5. A spokesperson for Tennessee's athletic department told the Associated Press, "She is suspended indefinitely and is not participating in team activities."
Whitehorn was arrested after local police received a phone call around 4:15 pm on August 5. She allegedly kicked in a front and a bedroom door at another woman's home. Isaacs also said the details that have been reported so far "are not accurate and are contradicted by eyewitness accounts."
Allegations against NCAA players have to be taken seriously
Whitehorn is hardly the first collegiate or WNBA player to face allegations and/or charges of domestic assault or violence. Former TCU star Sedona Prince saw her WNBA Draft dreams dashed in 2025 after years of allegations against her; at least four young women accused Prince of "sexual assault or intimate partner violence" in the months ahead of the draft. While no one specifically came out and said it, the prevailing thought is Prince did not get picked up by a team due to the allegations.
Prince has always denied the allegations, and she's never been charged in connection to any claims against her. TCU never faced any repercussions for allowing Prince to continue to play.
South Carolina's Ashlyn Watkins was accused of assault and kidnapping in August 2024, and the school promptly suspended her until the charges were dismissed ahead of the start of the basketball season in November of the same year. Watkins played a major role in South Carolina's 38-0 season.
Programs and universities have a responsibility to protect and support their players, but to also make sure they are adequately addressing allegations of this nature and supporting the alleged victims as well — and following an appropriate course of action while doing so. Collegiate student athletes are vulnerable to a lot of external and internal pressures and forces, and when allegations of this nature rise, all angles and aspects have to be considered — not just what does or does not benefit the team.