It\u2019s easy to see how Latson might help the Gamecocks in their mission to win another title. For all the players who entered Staley\u2019s program as recruits and left as professionals, she\u2019s never coached a scorer quite like Latson, and it already seems written that the dynamic guard will be the next Gamecock drafted to the WNBA. Neither Latson nor Staley are the type to rest on their laurels, though, and as talented as Latson is, South Carolina will push her to be even better.<\/p>\n
A McDonald\u2019s All-American, Latson was ranked as the No. 1 guard (and the No. 14 player overall) in the recruiting class of 2022<\/a> by ESPN HoopGurlz. She quickly justified that ranking in her first collegiate season, averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 assists per game and earning National Freshman of the Year honors from the USBWA and WBCA.<\/p>\n Latson built upon those numbers as a sophomore, averaging 21.4 points and 4.1 assists per game. As a junior, she was even more productive, posting averages of 25.2 points, 4.6 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and she was named a Second-Team All-American by the USBWA and Associated Press. Latson also earned All-ACC First Team honors for the third season in a row.<\/p>\n Entering her senior season, Latson is on watch lists for several national awards, including the Naismith Trophy, Wade Trophy and Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. She was also named to the Preseason All-American First Team by the AP and was voted to the Preseason All-SEC First-Team by conference coaches.<\/p>\n Latson out to prove she\u2019s more than a scorer<\/p>\n For a player who has led the country in scoring, been named an All-American and seemed destined for WNBA success since her very first NCAA game, how much can there be left to prove at the collegiate level?<\/p>\n According to Latson herself, quite a bit. She\u2019ll be the first to admit that, in spite of her gaudy scoring numbers at Florida State, she wasn\u2019t the most well-rounded player, and that\u2019s something she hopes to change at South Carolina.<\/p>\n \u201cMy first two years, I did not take the weight room serious,\u201d Latson told Sports Illustrated<\/a>. She also admitted she would \u201ctake reps off\u201d on defense. She made that decision partially because of the energy she was expending on offense, but also because, as the Seminoles\u2019 unquestioned star, she could afford to coast a bit more than her teammates.<\/p>\n Latson knows that won\u2019t fly at South Carolina, but that\u2019s part of why she transferred there. She wants Staley to challenge her, and the Hall of Famer has been happy to oblige, imploring Latson to defend more with her body than her hands. Thanks to a newfound commitment to weights and conditioning, Latson has had no problem making that adjustment.<\/p>\n \u201cShe picks up on things quickly, quickly, quickly,\u201d raved Staley. \u201cWe\u2019re getting a seasoned senior.\u201d<\/p>\n Latson can get to the rim whenever she wants, but at South Carolina, she\u2019ll be asked to be more than just a scorer. Getty Images<\/p>\n It\u2019s that leadership that Staley will be counting on from Latson. As an incoming senior, she won\u2019t have much time to jell with the players who have already been there, and while she\u2019ll undoubtedly be the Gamecocks\u2019 primary offensive option, she\u2019ll also be expected to use her on-ball creation skills to get her teammates open, which is something Staley refers to<\/a> as Latson\u2019s \u201cother superpower.\u201d<\/p>\n Latson\u2019s first superpower is, of course, scoring the basketball. In that phase of the game, she\u2019s without peer: She\u2019s both explosive and shifty off the dribble, making it almost impossible to keep her out of the paint, and her array of off-handed finishes, pull-up jumpers and difficult fadeaway shots is as complete of a scoring package as you\u2019ll see in college basketball. There\u2019s no area of the court where Latson isn\u2019t dangerous, and she\u2019s proven time and time again the ability to single-handedly carry a team, even when she\u2019s the focus of every opponent\u2019s game plan.<\/p>\n Those are all things South Carolina needs\u2014to an extent. The Gamecocks sent three of last season\u2019s players to the WNBA Draft, and lost a key scoring guard, MiLaysia Fulwiley, to the transfer portal, so if they\u2019re going to avenge their loss in the 2025 title game, they could use the firepower Latson brings.<\/p>\n What South Carolina doesn\u2019t necessarily need is a guard to dominate the ball. Tessa Johnson is one of the best shooters in the country, and Joyce Edwards has the potential to be a National Player of the Year candidate. These are players who Staley will want to keep involved; Latson won\u2019t need to repeat the 38.1 percent usage rate<\/a> she posted last season at Florida State, and if she does, the Gamecocks probably won\u2019t be functioning at their best.<\/p>\n As Staley put it<\/a>, in order for Latson to fit in, she\u2019ll need to \u201cmake defenses forget about her.\u201d That isn\u2019t literal\u2014no opponent is going to treat Latson like a low-usage complementary player\u2014but she probably won\u2019t have the ball in her hands nearly as often as she did at Florida State, and will thus be expected to contribute to winning in other ways.<\/p>\n![\"Latson](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/gettyimages-2244497463.jpg\"\/)
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