South Carolina’s Raven Johnson sends wishes for “twin” Ta’Niya Latson on special day
South Carolina's Raven Johnson took to Instagram to wish fellow college hooper Ta’Niya Latson on her birthday on Thursday. Latson plays for the Florida State Seminoles and the two players share a close bond, with Johnson referring to Latson as her “twin” in her Instagram stories:
“Happy birthday to my twin, love you so much.”
Latson responded by sharing the post on her Instagram story, writing:
“Love you too twin.”
Meanwhile, Ta'Niya Latson's Florida State (11-2, 1-0) encountered a challenge in their final game of the year. During Thursday’s game against Jacksonville, the Seminoles were dealt a blow when Latson, the nation’s top scorer averaging 28.9 points per game, suffered an injury early in the second quarter.
The Donald L. Tucker Center fell into silence as Latson clutched her lower leg in pain. The game came to a halt for nearly three minutes while medical staff attended to her, and she was eventually assisted off the court. Unfortunately, Latson did not return to play for the rest of the evening.
Despite the setback, Florida State showed remarkable resilience, pulling together as a team to overcome the loss of their star player. The Seminoles powered through the second half, building a lead that reached as much as 28 points, and ultimately claimed a decisive 97-74 victory over the Dolphins. Five players stepped up to score in double figures, showcasing the team’s depth.
As they head into the holiday break, the status of Latson’s injury remains uncertain. The Seminoles, however, will have time to regroup before their next game on January 2, when they travel to Blacksburg, Virginia, to face Virginia Tech at the start of their conference play.
Ta’Niya Latson reflects on her journey to leading the nation in scoring
Many analysts predicted that USC’s JuJu Watkins, last season’s second-highest scorer, would take the top spot following Caitlin Clark’s move to the WNBA. However, Ta’Niya Latson has claimed that title thus far. Latson is averaging 28.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, converting 48% of her field goal attempts and an impressive 41% of her three-pointers.
Beyond scoring, Ta’Niya Latson's high basketball IQ and relentless work ethic have made her a complete player. On November 30, she recorded a triple-double against Gonzaga and has already notched four 30-point games in just 10 contests this season.
In Ta’Niya Latson's appearance on the "Locked On Women’s Basketball" podcast, she reflected on her journey from a freshman season to her current status as the nation’s leading scorer:
“I feel like I’ve been shooting the best I’ve shot my whole entire career. I want to be remembered as someone who always gave their all and uplifted the game.”
The Seminoles now prepare to face Virginia Tech on Thursday, Jan. 2, followed by Syracuse on Sunday, Jan. 5.
Also read: "Nobody is talking about her": Fans unhappy at FSU guard Ta'Niya Latson not getting the publicity she deserves despite dominant run