South Carolina and Dawn Staley can’t catch a break. The injury crisis even before the ball was tipped off, as Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins went down with season-ending injuries. Dealing with a tight 10-player rotation, Staley had to deal with Madina Okot, Agot Makeer, and Tessa Johnson missing time. Now, Ta’Niya Latson has gone down with a freak injury in the game against Providence.

Latson went down in the second quarter with an apparent ankle injury on December 28. Latson had to be helped off the court, and couldn’t put any tension on her left foot. Staley was heard in the broadcast saying, “The bad one?” Initially, it seemed like just a sprain, and the broadcasters said so. However, after the replay, it was clear that her ankle just gave out. 

The team announced that Latson will not return to the game, but had 10 points and shot 4-of-5 from the field before exiting the game. Staley did not have any updates regarding the severity of the injury. However, according to Jared Parker, Latson will be evaluated tomorrow. Despite losing Latson, the Gamecocks strolled to a 96-55 win to improve to 13-1. However, Latson’s injury has added a cloud over the dominating victory. 

The Florida State transfer has been central to Staley’s plans so far, but she has a history of injuries. Last season, she missed March Madness due to an undisclosed injury. This incident could be even worse if that injury were related to the left ankle. However, this season she had shown no signs of slowing down after recovery and was averaging 17.4 points, 4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds before this game. Losing Latson, even for a few games, could spell trouble for Dawn Staley and South Carolina. 

South Carolina Can Slip With Ta’Niya Latson Out

Dawn Staley changed how Ta’Niya Latson played. At Florida State, she was the head of the snake. However, she wanted more. Staley forced her to improve on defense and her creativity. “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]?” Staley said, “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.”

In the process, Latson has turned into much more than their scorer. She is contributing to defense and assisting as well. At 23%, she has the third-highest usage rate in the team. Latson is essential to Staley’s tactics. She gives South Carolina a high-level, downhill shot creator who can generate efficient offense without the system becoming heliocentric. 

Without Latson on the court, Joyce Edwards will face higher-intensity defense. A positive outlook regarding their injury list, in her first game back after missing five games while in concussion protocol, Agot Makeer had 10 points and a career-high nine rebounds in 23 minutes. She could have a bigger role to play if Latson is ruled out for a significant amount of time. South Carolina has some mildly tough matchups coming as well. They will next face Alabama at home before travelling to Florida and Arkansas. They will hope to have Latson back by the time they face Texas again. 

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