Ta’Niya Latson joined the South Carolina Gamecocks in 2025 after a three-season run with the Florida State Seminoles. One of the best shooting guards in the game today, Latson perfectly fits the Gamecocks’ style of basketball.
Even though she’s just a season old in South Carolina, Latson has made plenty of friends, and she already knows a lot of their secrets. One of the things she recently revealed was why Raven Johnson is nicknamed ‘Hollywood.’
During a locker room interview, Latson said that Johnson used to come to practice with a lot of jewelry on her. She also wore high socks and colorful clothes, which made their AAU coach give her the moniker.
“She dressed like she was going to Hollywood at every practice,” she said.
Johnson, however, isn’t a fan of her nickname. She said that she doesn’t like it, but she also doesn’t have a problem with people calling her ‘Hollywood.’
Latson, on the other hand, has a great nickname of her own. She is called ‘Baby Flash’. The nickname is inspired by NBA legend Dwyane Wade’s nickname ‘Flash’, as Latson’s game is very similar to the three-time NBA Champion.
The ‘Baby Flash’ moniker was given to her by two-time WNBA All-Star and former North Carolina women’s basketball standout Ivory Latta.
“I don’t know if she said it on air yet, but she’s talked about it,” Kelly Gramlich said. “She’s been calling her ‘Baby Flash,’ which I think is so perfect. Because Dwayne Wade was undersized, but he was such a great finisher at the rim.”
The Gamecocks have a very important game coming up today. They will face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet 16 matchup at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
Ta’Niya Latson on Why She Came to South Carolina
During her time with the Seminoles, Latson averaged 22.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. In her final season, she averaged 25.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.
She was always a great player, but her individual brilliance didn’t lead her to trophies. That became one of the main reasons why she chose South Carolina.
“I know why I came to South Carolina. At the end of the day, I didn’t come here to be a leading scorer here either. I wouldn’t have chose South Carolina if that’s what I wanted. I came here to win a championship and to be a complete player, and to prepare myself for the next level,” she said.
For Latson, it’s not only about being the lead scorer or taking the most shots each game. She wants to win championships, and South Carolina was the right place to do it.
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