Dawn Staley has a lot on her plate this off-season with recruiting and transfer portal processes. There are quite a few gaping holes in South Carolina’s roster that need to be fixed! Milaysia Fulwiley sent ripples through the NCAA by announcing her entry into the transfer portal, and crucial players like Te-Hina Paopao, Sania Feagin, and Bree Hall are graduating. However, there is a ray of sunlight through all of the darkness.

After an embarrassing 82-59 loss to Geno Auriemma’s squad, Dawn Staley is gearing up for a revenge tour. And the first weapon to set the stage? Ta’Niya Latson. The ex-Florida State guard was the Division I leading scorer this past season, averaging over 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists a game. However, her decision to become a Gamecock might be better for Dawn Staley than anyone realises!

On the Good Follow, show hosts Ros and Logan discussed Latson’s transfer to South Carolina. “Ta’Niya Latson just announced she is transferring in, with that Raven Johnson tweeted “Let’s run it back”, and there is another one with hashtag #reunited so it’s likely that she is also returning.” Logan said, hinting at a high-school reunion for Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson.

The five-foot-eight guard is an offensive weapon! Latson can create her own looks, and has a very efficient pull-up jumper that Dawn Staley would be happy to work with. More importantly, South Carolina now has a level of scoring power that they did not have before.

Ros elaborated on why Latson adds a new dimension to Gamecocks’ basketball. “South Carolina now has go-to scorer that is veteran, and they can lean on and go to and for the most part they were offense by committee, everybody chipping in each game at the tournament it was like someone else would step up, well this is a go-to scorer.” Before the addition of Latson, no player on Dawn Staley’s team averaged more than 13 points per game.

There’s no doubt that the South Carolina Gamecocks were a strong team even without Latson. They played the finals, after all. However, the Division I scoring leader will play an important role in the trials and tribulations to come. But how did Dawn Staley react to the Latson’s arrival? Let’s find out!

If there’s anyone who could use a break, it’s Dawn Staley. Even though the Gamecocks coach has been elegant in her defeat, it’s still a major blow to lose a natty to UConn. However, the news of Ta’Niya Latson transferring over to South Carolina must have lightened her mood up by quite a bit!

When Latson posted her commitment online, the internet was flooded with shocked fans and supportive teammates. One reaction that you might’ve missed, however, was coach Staley’s. The South Carolina head coach summed it up in six simple words. “A birdie just flew in nest!!” she tweeted, displaying her happiness at the commitment.

via Imago

Not to mention, she reposted Raven Johnson’s celebratory tweets after the news broke. “Always got my twin back!!! @NiyaLatson #REUNITED.” The Gamecocks guard shared on X, which Staley was quick to repost.

All things considered, there’s no doubt that Ta’Niya Latson’s welcome to South Carolina has been very warm! Even with Fulwiley’s departure, the Gamecocks look ready to take on the nation this coming season.