Latson Named Finalist for Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior Ta’Niya Latson is one of five finalists for the 2026 Ann Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in partnership with the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) announced today.
Latson earned All-SEC Second Team honors this season after ranking among the league’s top 20 in five different categories. She is second on the team in scoring and assists, despite missing five games due to injury. Her 14.3 points per game rank 17th in the SEC, and she is eighth in the league with a career-best .493 field goal percentage. She is fourth in the league with a 2.32 assist-to-turnover ratio with 3.5 assists per game, and her .783 free throw percentage ranks ninth. Defensively, she is 14th in the SEC with 1.7 steals per game.
In her career, Latson has been among the nation’s high-volume scorers, and this season, added efficiency to her game. Over her four college seasons, she averages 20.6 points on 45.5 percent shooting to go along with 3.8 assists per game. Her overall field goal percentage this season is a career high as are her 1.03 points per possession and 1.15 points per scoring attempt.
The five finalists will be presented to Meyers-Drysdale and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee, which will select the winner. The selection committees are composed of top women’s college basketball personnel, including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
The winner of the 2026 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award will be presented on a to-be-determined date, along with the four other members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional Awards being presented include Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward), Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward) and Lisa Leslie Award (Center).
No. 4/3 South Carolina awaits its place in the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket, which will be announced on Sun., Mar. 15, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the program.
2026 Ann Meyers-Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award Finalists
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
Azzi Fudd, UConn
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU
Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina
