Last week, South Carolina women’s basketball product Ta’Niya Latson was selected in the second round of the WNBA Draft. The Los Angeles Sparks took Latson with the No. 20 overall pick.
The selection was lower than where most projected Latson to go before the draft. However, there is some excitement
During the Sparks’ (re)introductory press conference for Nneka Ogwumike, a future Hall of Famer who previously spent 12 seasons with the organization, Ogwumike spoke glowingly about her new teammate.
“I absolutely love her,” the 10-time All-Star said about the former Gamecock guard. “I think she is the biggest steal [in the WNBA Draft] this year. You can tell who’s somebody that’s locked in, she is someone who does not like to lose, and she’s quite mature for her age.”
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During her own organizational introduction, Latson admitted that the shock of the late selection put a chip on her shoulder. Even so, she likes her place with the Sparks. “It was shocking to everybody; I mean, I was kind of shocked,” she said. “It’s about fit, I feel like. Fit over pick. I flipped my mentality immediately when I found out I was going to LA.”
Ogwumike’s assessment of Latson and the rookie’s desire to prove herself mirror what South Carolina fans saw from the All-American this season.
Formerly the nation’s leading scorer with the Florida State Seminoles, she transferred to the Gamecocks to improve her all-around game. Latson became a much better defender playing for Dawn Staley’s team, and she upped her offensive efficiency along the way.
This year at USC, Latson averaged 14.1 points per game on 48.6%/32.5%/80.3% shooting splits. Despite dealing with some injuries, she also added 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.