So here’s the thing — Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks hit a jackpot, like a Monday surprise, by pulling in Ta’Niya Latson from the transfer portal. You know, sometimes sports can feel like reality TV with unexpected twists. One moment you’re rooting for one team, next thing, boom, players switching sides like it’s a game of musical chairs.
Latson, a junior guard who swerved through her early college years at Florida State, dropped the bomb on social media: South Carolina is her new home turf. Makes sense though – after FSU got booted from the NCAA Tournament, she was probably itching for a fresh start.
Let’s just pause and admire: Latson was on fire this season. Talk about a scoring machine — she was dropping 25.2 points per game with more than a 45% accuracy from the field, and her three-point game? It popped back up to around 35% after a dip last year. Imagine scoring and then having a slump. She was like, “Nah, not today, falling stats,” and just flipped the script. Anyway, she topped the 247Sports rankings for a reason. Brandon Clay from 247Sports was practically singing her praises, calling her a star of this year’s transfer process.
Oh yeah, and apparently a bunch of teams wanted her, like sending her flowers and chocolates (metaphorically, obviously). Even Florida State hoped she’d swing back their way. But, here’s the twist, Raven Johnson — Latson’s old high school partner-in-crime and now the South Carolina playmaker — was like, “Yo, come join us. Let’s rewind to the good old days and make it happen.” And it’s like Latson heard, “Come back to the light!” and just went for it.
And that promise? Yeah, Johnson didn’t just sell her a dream. She dropped the news that she’s sticking around for another season herself. Kind of a mic drop moment for her. It’s this whole we-want-the-band-back-together vibe, and now she’s hyped about getting a post player next. Seriously, it’s like a classic sports movie unfolding.
Adding Latson might be just what South Carolina needs. Here’s the deal: even though they reached the National Championship, UConn kind of smoked them. South Carolina’s shooting was, well, let’s just say it had room for improvement. Bringing on a powerhouse like Latson might just tilt the scales in their favor next time around. Who knows? This could be the edge they need for more buckets and hopefully a win. 🤞
