Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks have been through enough injury wringer at this point. Already, the roster was thin after missing standout forwards Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins to ACL tears. Now, the 13-1 SEC team got another blow with senior guard Ta’Niya Latson sustaining a lower leg injury in their 96-55 win over Providence. However, the head coach’s update on Sunday may paint a better picture.

“Ta’Niya, before she got down, was playing such great basketball. I am sorry to see her go down and not being able to finish this game we will see where she is after this game and hope she can get back to us soon,” Staley said of Latson’s injury. “I mean, she’s got an ankle sprain for right now, I am not going to worry about it. Our doctor did see her getting treatment throughout the second half.”

At 4:18 in the second quarter, Latson went up for a layup attempt. However, when she landed, she fell down and immediately grabbed her left ankle, wincing in pain. USC head athletic trainer Craig Oates helped her to the locker room without letting her put any weight on her left foot. Ta’Niya Latson looked locked in with 10 points from 4 of 5 shooting from the field in 11 minutes before things took a scary turn at the home arena.

The silver lining, though, would be that Staley confessed she was all smiles when the team won. However, the team will get an in-depth report once she gets checked on Monday. While the team is continuing to win and show its dominance in the conference, Latson’s injury is a concern for Staley.

What does Latson’s injury mean for the Gamecocks?

The Florida State transfer was leading the team, averaging 17.4 points, behind sophomore forward Joyce Edwards with a 22 points per game average. She is also second-best in assists (4 apg).

In her absence, Staley already has a replacement in mind. “She’s [Agot Makeer] gonna have to help us depending on what we hear tomorrow, with Ta’Niya, how long she’ll be out,” the coach said. In her first game back on Sunday after spending a month in concussion protocol against the Friars, the backup freshman guard, Makeer, delivered a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes.

South Carolina’s bench guards Ayla McDowell and Maddy McDaniel will also see more floor minutes. McDowell was the first player off the bench against Providence and chipped in eight points in 20 minutes.

The Gamecocks having a fairly manageable stretch coming up will only help the team not rush Latson back onto the floor. That said, Dawn Staley will be hoping to have her available when South Carolina faces the Texas Longhorns on January 15.

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Apart from Latson, two of the most significant blows came to Staley before the 2025-26 season kicked off. Ashlyn Watkins suffered a scary knee injury that was later confirmed as a torn ACL. Then Chloe Kitts also tore her ACL in October. Both were eventually ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Moreover, multiple players moved on to the WNBA, and star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley transferred to LSU after the last season, making things difficult for Staley. South Carolina typically dresses 10 players, but the team has had its full lineup available in just five of its first 13 games.

Alicia Tournebize has already drawn some natural comparisons to former Gamecock and current Chicago Sky center Kamila Cardoso. Both stand at 6-foot-7, making them the tallest players to suit up under Dawn Staley during her time at South Carolina.

And while Staley would love to get Tournebize on the floor as soon as possible, especially with injuries piling up, she couldn’t lock in a firm debut date, given the adjustment of moving from France to the United States. Still, there’s optimism she’ll be in a Gamecocks jersey before the spring semester begins on January 12.

“She has all these appointments and documentations that she needs to get here,” Staley said. “But hopefully we can get her here before school starts.”