Moving from Florida State to South Carolina was definitely an upgrade for Ta’Niya Latson, but it was also a bit of a downgrade. It sounds paradoxical, but both things can be true at the same time. On the one hand, Latson moved to one of the top programs in the nation for her final season. This raised her profile, looking toward the WNBA Draft later this year.
On the other hand, it meant she would no longer be the star of the lineup, and she would have to compete for the opportunity to shine in one of the best-rounded rosters in the country.
However, Ta’Niya Latson believes that this has better prepared her for what is to come in the WNBA, where there’s likely to be an adaptation period, just like there was when she arrived at Columbia.
She said as much this Saturday, during an interaction with the press:
“I was just talking to Alysha Clark yesterday, and she was talking about being an intangible player. She came from being a leading scorer at her college to not having to do that in the league. So I feel like that move to South Carolina definitely prepared me, just from playing with other talented players and then not taking as many shots. As a rookie, you’re not going to get all those shots, especially playing with other superstars. I think that’s what’s going to help me in the league.”
The numbers support the theory she is proposing. While she was a staple of the Gamecocks’ lineup, her contributions dropped when compared to what she did at Tallahassee. While this past season she averaged 14.1 points per game, she averaged 25.2 points per game in 2024-25. There’s a similar trend regarding rebounds and assists.
What is Ta’Niya Latson’s WNBA Draft stock?
In the end, the move to South Carolina seems to have worked out for Latson. She is currently considered a first-round pick by most publications, with USA Today having her the highest at No. 7 overall, where she would be selected by the Portland Fire. ESPN has a more conservative estimation, having her as the No. 13 overall pick of the draft by the Atlanta Dream.
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