The making of Ta’Niya Latson 2.0 under Dawn Staley’s watch

With 10 minutes remaining in regulation, South Carolina leads Florida Gulf Coast 79-31, and the outcome is no longer in question and Ta’Niya Latson is on the bench. She sits shoulder to shoulder with her teammates, having already logged 26 minutes. She will finish with a team-high 30, but the third quarter passed quietly for the Gamecocks’ point guard. Three points, all from the free-throw line. No field goals. In fact, Latson hasn’t scored from the floor since a layup at the 6:29 mark of the second quarter, sitting at 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.

In another setting, Latson’s quiet stretch might have felt jarring. At South Carolina, it feels intentional. This is the Dawn Staley effect in motion, a system that prizes balance over urgency, dominance over desperation. A program built on efficiency in addition to production, and one where sitting late in a blowout is not a demotion, but a statement of trust.

“I’m learning more about myself and how resilient I am,” Latson told The IX Basketball. “I’ve been giving myself grace and not trying to put too much pressure on myself. It’s pressure playing for South Carolina. But I’m choosing to be patient, giving the rest to God and letting the work show [on the court].”

Through 13 games, No. 3 South Carolina (12-1) has torn through its nonconference slate. The lone blemish came on Thanksgiving, a two-point loss to SEC rival Texas, itself a national contender. But for Latson, her numbers look far different than they did a year ago.

By the end of nonconference play last season, Latson — the former Florida State star — led the nation in scoring and was the biggest reason why the Seminoles finished 11-2 before entering ACC play. She had already recorded 20-plus points in 11 games, leading the Seminoles in scoring in those games as well. Every possession flowed through her voice, her pace and her presence.

Through the same stretch this season, Latson has recorded only four games with 20 or more points. But that shift did not come without sacrifice. Latson left Tallahassee, the comfort of familiarity, the proximity to family, friends and relationships built over three seasons. She traded certainty for challenge and growth. The goal was simple but demanding: to become a “complete player.” At South Carolina, the game no longer asks for everything all at once. And under Staley’s watchful eye, Latson isn’t fighting that truth. She’s embracing it, learning when to assert, when to defer and when to trust.

“I applaud her,” South Carolina assistant Jolette Law told The IX Basketball. “You go from being a star and the nation’s leading scorer and then you come here and it’s like… you’re not starting all over. But, it’s like retaking some new [basketball] courses and she’s learning to master them.”

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At Florida State, Latson was the engine. The answer. Possession after possession, the game bent toward her gravity. She arrived in Columbia after transferring from one of the ACC’s premier programs, averaging 25.2 points per game. She led the country in made field goals (8.8) and field-goal attempts (19.5), shooting 45.1% from the floor, while ranking in the top 10 nationally in both free throws made (6.3) and attempted (7.8). She added 4.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 steals per contest during the 2024–25 campaign.

Her final performance in garnet and gold captured both her brilliance and the burden she carried. In the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament, Latson poured in 30 points against LSU, shooting 11-of-26 from the field, 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line. She added seven rebounds, four assists and two steals in 30 minutes,  production that still ended in a 101-71 loss. 

Latson, who turns 22 the day after Christmas, could have stayed in Tallahassee. Another year of gaudy numbers awaited, along with the likely return of multiple national recognition, AP All-America honors and All-ACC First Team nods. But comfort was no longer the point. When she officially committed to South Carolina in April, Latson understood the optics, even the discomfort, that came with the move.

“I knew the standard I had for myself and the challenge I needed to grow as a player,” Latson said. “Emotionally, it was hard leaving FSU. I built a lot of relationships there. Me and Coach Brooke [Wyckoff] were super close. I was very sad, but [leaving] was more of a business decision rather than personal.”

Latson’s business decision? Plain and simple, become more than an elite scorer before the WNBA asks her to. South Carolina was the only place that made sense. The program’s résumé is unmatched with three national championships, a stack of SEC titles, and 19 players sent to the WNBA, 15 of them developed under Staley during her 18-year tenure. But for Latson, the pull went deeper than banners and numbers.

The change in scenery to Columbia brought things Latson craved like structure, accountability and a daily standard tied directly to her long-term vision. And at the center of it all stood Staley — a six-time WNBA All-Star, Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame point guard and one of the most influential voices in the sport — whose presence signaled both credibility and challenge. For Latson, the fit felt obvious.

“Playing alongside other WNBA prospects takes a lot of pressure off me,” Latson told The IX Basketball. “I know when I reach the league, I’ll be surrounded by great players, and South Carolina is preparing me for that reality. WNBA coaches value efficiency, especially from guards, and that’s something I take pride in—particularly in my final year. I’m focused on building my profile now so nothing feels overwhelming later. I’d rather work through those growing pains here than at the next level, and I trust that Coach Staley is preparing me for it.”

With any change comes an adjustment period. As nonconference play winds down, Latson is still learning the lessons required to guide the Gamecocks toward what she hopes could be a fourth NCAA championship, while quietly positioning herself for what comes next.

At South Carolina, progress is never abstract. That bill comes with a cost. For Latson, she began paying the price over the summer, in the weight room and long before sunrise during the program’s infamous “Final Four Fridays.” The routine was relentless: a 6 a.m. wake-up, then the sand, the track and finally Williams-Brice Stadium, where the bleachers waited. Every Friday. No excuses. It’s a Staley hallmark, preparation disguised as punishment, accountability framed as opportunity.

“That was my biggest welcome to South Carolina women’s basketball moment,” Latson told The IX Basketball with a laugh. “I remember thinking I got to roll around in the sand at 6 a.m. …We all had crust in our eyes but we had to go out there and get after it.”

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The evolution also required Latson to recalibrate how she was coached — and how she processed the game — inside South Carolina’s demanding practices. Scoring could no longer be the lone solution. Under Staley’s watch, every possession asks for layered reads like when to attack, when to move the ball and when to defend with the same urgency she once reserved for breaking away in transition or rising for a midrange jumper.

Through the first 13 games this season, Latson is averaging fewer steals than she did a year ago — 1.6 per game compared to 2.2 at Florida State — but that dip comes with meaningful gains. Her turnovers have dropped sharply, from 3.1 to 1.8 per contest, a product of stronger ball security and fewer risky gambles hunting steals. She’s also committing fewer fouls, down from 1.8 to 1.3 per game, signaling cleaner defense, improved containment and sharper positioning within the Gamecocks’ drop coverage.

“She came to campus with a lot of maturity,” South Carolina assistant Khadijah Sessions told The IX Basketball. “For someone who led the country in scoring, she arrived like a freshman — eager to learn and expand her game. She came here to become a more WNBA-ready player. 

“You might not take 25 shots a night, but you’re going to defend, understand the game at a high level and be efficient. She’s really focused on becoming a better defender, on the ball and off it, and engaging more on that side of the floor.”

Law echoed the same sentiment.

“We challenge her to guard the best guards,” Law told The IX Basketball. “Against Clemson, I challenged her to guard Mia Moore. I was always told if you can be a great scorer, you can be a great defender.”

For Latson, the adjustment at South Carolina hasn’t been about quieter stat lines, but about learning that challenge is the language of trust. At a program where nothing is handed and everything is earned, accountability arrives plainly and without cushioning. It’s the clearest expression under Staley, a signal that a player is worth the truth. 

Leaving FSU meant surrendering certainty; arriving at South Carolina meant surrendering comfort. In that space between, Latson is discovering a mentorship model that doesn’t affirm who she already was, but demands honest feedback, two-way trust, understanding roles and embracing the coaching of who she can become.

“I call her a grown woman,” Staley told The IX Basketball. “I don’t think she’s completely happy with everything, but she understands that it is a process. When she was the nation’s leading scorer, she actually had the freedom to do pretty much whatever she wanted to do. …She’ll tell you she didn’t have to guard on defense the way we do at South Carolina at FSU. Like, that was her rest time.

“Her defense has come a long way, like a long way. She can be a two-way player. …Her stamina has grown to play both sides because we put a special emphasis on defense, no matter what your offensive load is.”

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Yet the most meaningful part of Latson’s evolution isn’t found in defensive metrics or shot charts. It lives in her trust for Staley, in the daily feedback that carries from practice into games, and in a coaching pedigree that demands growth without stripping away identity. The challenge has been learning how to expand while staying true to the fearless scorer at her core.

At FSU, Latson shared the floor with talented pieces in O’Mariah Gordon, Sydney Bowles and Makayla Timpson — now with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever — but the offense ultimately bent toward her. South Carolina presents a different landscape. Latson is surrounded by a deep rotation of future pros: veteran guards Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson — her best friend and former high school teammate at Westlake High School in Atlanta — sophomore forward Joyce Edwards, veteran center Madina Okot, veteran forward Chloe Kitts, who is out for the season with an injury, and Maryam Dauda. Add in a freshman class already flashing its upside, and the margin for decision-making narrows, not because of pressure but because of possibility.

For Latson, the first half of the season has been about learning when — and how — to share that burden.

“She wants me to see the second and third option on the court,” Latson told The IX Basketball. “At first, during the summer, it was a challenge for me as I wasn’t used to that.”

Staley sees the bigger picture, and she’s intentional about it.

“We’ve given her more help on the perimeter and inside so she can feel what the next level [WNBA] is like. I want her to see the floor more — hit post players, make skip passes. She’s one or two passes away from getting downhill, but at the next level, that won’t always be there. If she doesn’t know where players are, it can stifle her growth.

“We want her to keep her strength as a downhill driver while learning to counter it with passing. In practice, I’ll ask her, did you see the dropoff [pass] to Joyce [Edwards]? Did you see Tessa [Johnson] in the overhead spot? Did you see the dump off? I ask those things because when she’s in the [WNBA] next year, I want her to be aware.”

Even as Latson learns to read the floor more fully, Staley is careful not to coach the scorer out of her. When Latson pushes the ball in transition, spots Tessa Johnson or Raven Johnson on the wing, yet sees a high-efficiency look for herself, hesitation is not the lesson. Confidence is.

“There are times where I am over here stressing [about certain plays, possessions in practice] and Coach [Staley] isn’t stressed,” Latson said. “She’s always like, ‘If I’m not worried, you shouldn’t be worried. You’ll know if I am worried.’ She gives me a lot of confidence and a lot of grace.”

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That balance — accountability without fear — has defined Latson’s integration into the Gamecocks’ rhythm. With SEC play looming, beginning Jan. 1 against Alabama after a final tune-up Sunday against Providence, her connection with the team continues to sharpen. The reads are quicker and her teammates are learning where the ball will find them.

Latson is currently second on the team in assists behind Raven Johnson. Through South Carolina’s first 13 games, she has recorded eight contests with four or more assists, including each of the last three with eight against Penn State, four versus South Florida and seven against Florida Gulf Coast. No one feels that impact more directly than Raven Johnson. After South Carolina’s 94-54 win over Grand Canyon in November, Johnson captured what Latson’s presence means within the framework Staley has built.

“She makes things easier,” Johnson said. “My instinct is to go her way, like, wherever she is. … Don’t ask me why it’s like that, but it’s like that. … She brings out the best in me. She makes me play harder than what I’m capable of.”

Staley describes the duo as “instant chemistry.”

 “They just do things,” she told The IX Basketball. “They communicate through body language. For Ta’Niya, coming into this situation with someone she’s already played with and is comfortable with means they don’t always have to talk — they just connect.”

These days, Latson isn’t launching 19.5 shots a night like she did last season at Florida State, or the combined 16.85 attempts she averaged as a freshman and sophomore in Tallahassee. At South Carolina, volume has given way to precision. The 5-foot-8 floor general hasn’t taken 19 or more shots in a game this season, with her high-water mark coming in a 106-42 win over NCCU, when she went 11-of-18 from the floor.

Instead, Latson is producing with control. She’s averaging 17.4 points on 6.2 made field goals and 12.1 attempts per game, adding 4.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting a collegiate-best 51% from the floor. It is efficiency shaped by trust in the system, in her teammates and in Staley’s long-term vision.

“You’re seeing a more polished, poised and calm Ta’Niya Latson,” Sessions told The IX Basketball. “Her efficiency is higher, her plus-minus is higher, her three-point percentage is higher. All she needs to do is continue to build on her pro habits.”

That composure has become contagious. Freshman guard Ayla McDowell sees it daily.

“She’s [Latson] just confident, and that’s what I’m trying to build,” McDowell said after the Gamecocks’ win against NCCU. “You got to have that confidence no matter what.”

Confidence, for Latson, is intentional. It’s built through extra film sessions, careful attention to her body and a willingness to ask questions and to accept coaching in real time. 

For Law, the journey carries an added layer. Law was part of the original recruiting efforts for both Latson and Raven Johnson out of high school. With only one scholarship available, South Carolina chose Johnson, needing a true point guard. Latson went to FSU, and Law watched her ascent from afar. When Latson entered the transfer portal and chose South Carolina, it felt like a full-circle moment.

Now, Law gets to coach not just a player she once recruited, but the next version of her, one still forming, still hungry.

“She isn’t settling for simply being a great scorer. She wants more. Every day, I get to pour into her [coaching] and watch her blossom into the elite guard she wants to become. She’s not thinking about being the nation’s leading scorer. She has another level that she hasn’t even scratched the surface on and that’s scary to think. She’s a winner and she’s going to do whatever it takes to win. Ta’Niya 2.0 is going to be scary.”

At South Carolina, greatness isn’t inherited. It’s rehearsed. And Latson is still in rehearsal. The quieter quarters, the shared spotlight, the mornings in the sand, all of it is preparation for a stage that demands more than scoring. In a program where patience is proof of trust, Latson isn’t shrinking into the background; she’s sharpening her range. When the lights are brightest and the margin is smallest, South Carolina believes she’ll be ready, not because of what she once was, but because of what she’s still becoming.