Latson's Growth: WNBA Prospect at South Carolina

0:00On March 18, Tanya Latson transferred to South Carolina women's basketball after three strong years at Florida State, where she earned all ACC. First team honors each time and averaged over 21 points per game. The 5-foot-9 senior guard joined the Gamecocks last off-season to round out her game before the WNBA draft. This season, she's their second leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, while playing fewer minutes than ever before, just 28. Game 2 on average. Earlier this week, she picked up all SEC's second team recognition after the regular season wrapped up. Latson aimed to become a better playmaker alongside elite teammates, shifting from a pure score to a two-way contributor. That adjustment has made her a smarter, more efficient player in Coach Don's daily system. Her quickness stands out, tying for the team lead with 1.7 steals per game, fueling South Carolina's fast breaks.

1:00Nationally at 20.5 points per game off turnovers. She's shooting a career-best 49.3 percent from the field, and excels at finishing through contact, leading the team with 100, 15 free throw attempts. That said, her three-point shooting lags at 31.9 percent, and at her size, she'll need to improve from deep to stick in the pros. Right away, her style still leans on 101 drives, though she's growing in off-fall movement and team play. As the NCAA tournament kicks off, Latson looks like a solid first-round WNBA pick, with mock draft sliding her anywhere from 7th to 12th. Overall to teams like Portland, Golden State, or Connecticut, her growth this year positions her well to contribute wherever she lands.