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Los Angeles Sparks select Ta'Niya Latson in second round of 2026 WNBA Draft

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones04/14/26brianjones_93

The Los Angeles Sparks have selected South Carolina’s Ta’Niya Latson in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Latson joins the WNBA after spending one season with the Gamecocks.

After having success at the high school level in Georgia and Florida, Ta’Niya Latson joined the Florida State Seminoles in 2022. She spent three seasons at Florida State and averaged 22.5 points per game.

Latson’s production on the court led to her being named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2023, and she was a three-time All-ACC First Team selection. In 2025, Latson averaged 25.2 points per contest, and that total was the best in the country.

In April 2025, Latson announced she was transferring to South Carolina. In her one season with the Gamecocks, Latson averaged 14.1 points and shot 48.6 percent from the floor. She helped South Carolina reach the national championship game.

“Ta’Niya has established herself in the college women’s game, and her accomplishments speak for themselves,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said last year. “But, the beauty of her game is not just her ability to score. She has another superpower in her ability to set her teammates up to score, and that’s just a dangerous combination for opposing teams. Ta’Niya is an incredible leader and, more importantly, a fierce competitor. We’re honored to be part of her journey.”

What WNBA Draft experts are saying about Ta’Niya Latson

Latson will likely be a dangerous WNBA player based on her production at Florida State and South Carolina. Meghan L. Hall of USA Today said the former NCAA scoring champion played big for the Gamecocks when they needed her the most.

“Since transferring from Florida State, Latson hasn’t needed to be as much of a scoring threat with South Carolina,” Hall said. “However, she’s just as critical to her new team’s success. Latson often provides timely scoring for the Gamecocks when they need them most, especially in SEC play. Since mid-February, she’s had four matches against ranked opponents where she scored 10 points or more while shooting at least 40 percent.”