Transfer Ta’Niya Latson sets major goal in first season with South Carolina
Ta’Niya Latson sent the college hoops world into a frenzy back in April when she announced her decision to transfer from Florida State to South Carolina.
The 2025-26 season is still a few months away but Latson is finally on campus with the Gamecocks and has already set the bar high.
In her first media availability as a Gamecock, Latson set a lofty goal for herself. It’s something only three other South Carolina players have been able to achieve.
“For me, SEC Player of the Year,” Latson said. “I’m going to bet on myself every time, everywhere I go, that’s something that is a goal for me.”
If Latson were to win SEC Player of the Year it would she’d be the fourth Gamecock to do so. Aliyah Boston, A’ja Wilson and Tiffany Mitchell all won the award a combined seven times.
Latson is coming off a year where she led all of Division I women’s college basketball in scoring with 25.2 points per game. She earned All-American honors from the Associated Press and US Basketball Writers Association while also landing on the the women’s Wooden All-American team.
The 5-foot-8 guard has racked up plenty other accolades during the last three years of her career at Florida State. Latson started off her career by being leading the ACC with 21.2 points per game and earning the 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year award. She also was named the National Freshman of the Year by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and The Athletic.
Latson also earned ACC All-Freshman honors that year. She ultimately was named to the All-ACC First Team in all three of her seasons at Florida State.
Winning the SEC Player of the Year award is an important goal for Latson but she also wants to just improve generally as a player. That being said, that’s just what she thinks her individual success at South Carolina looks like outside of winning.
“Ultimately, winning,” she said of her goals. “Winning, being consistent, working on my shot, getting more efficient from three. I have a lot of little technical things that I need to work on that I’m here for, and I feel like I’m going to achieve that here.”
Where Ta’Niya Latson wants to improve with Gamecocks
Latson was one of the most dynamic scorers in basketball last year, despite that she said she still wants to work on her 3-point shooting and other skills.
Latson is a career 32.6% shooter from 3-point range. Last season she shot 34.3%, up from 27% the year before. Had she had played for South Carolina last year, Latson would’ve been No. 4 on the team in 3-point percentage as well as 3-point makes (37).
Last season Latson averaged a career-high 4.6 assists per game but also averaged a career-high 3.1 turnovers per game. Both marks would’ve led South Carolina last year. Latson averaged 4.6 total rebounds last year (another career-high), that mark would have led all of the Gamecocks’ guards last season.
“That’s my that’s my biggest thing this year, 3-pointers,” Latson said. “Being more efficient and then also limiting my turnovers. My turnover to assist ratio needs to be better. That’s something I’m really trying to work on.”
“And then rebounding the ball, because I’m in the SEC now, baby.”
This story was originally published July 1, 2025 at 3:53 PM.
