The South Carolina Gamecock women's basketball program was one of the only programs to say they had 12 former players in the WNBA this season. Well earlier this week, that number dropped to 11 as Ta'Niya Latson, a former second-round draft pick from this past April, was waived by the Los Angeles Sparks.
The Sparks waived Latson on Monday, nearly just a few months after Los Angeles selected her with the No. 20 overall pick in the second round. Although Latson was expected to be a backup point guard to Kelsey Plum, she struggled with the adjustment. Across her 10 appearances with the Sparks, Latson averaged just 1.8 points per game, with just 1 rebound and shooting 27.3% from the floor.
Thank you, Ta'Niya! pic.twitter.com/85JVvTHVaP
— Los Angeles Sparks (@LASparks) July 6, 2026
“Ta'Niya is a skilled scorer and versatile playmaker,” Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said of Latson after drafting her in April. “Her explosiveness, ability to score in transition and point-of-attack defense excite us. She also showed her adaptability this season in a new role. We’re happy to add her talent to our group."
The Sparks' decision to waive Latson also stems from the team's injury situation with Plum. Late last month, Los Angeles announced she was out at least four weeks with a lower leg injury. As a result, Los Angeles played developmental guard Kate Martin much more often. Having already played in her 10 designated games per the developmental contract, the Sparks elevated her to a standard contract.
So far this season, Martin has averaged 3.1 points per game with 1.1 rebounds. In her latest appearance against the Seattle Storm on Monday night, she scored eight points with six rebounds as the Sparks fell 82-64.
While the news is certainly disappointing for Latson, there is a chance she can return to the Sparks as a developmental player. Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts told reporters this was the hope for her in the coming days:
Lynne Roberts said at shootaround today that her hope is that should rookie guard Ta’Niya Latson clear waivers then the Sparks could potentially bring her back into their open development spot.
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) July 6, 2026
We'll see if this pans out for Latson, or if she gets picked up by another team where she is better fit.
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