Reunited and Ready: Ta’Niya Latson and Raven Johnson Bring Their Championship Chemistry to South Carolina
Ta’Niya Latson and Raven Johnson are set to light up college basketball once again—this time wearing the same jersey for one final season. The elite guards, who dominated Georgia high school basketball together at Westlake, will now reunite at South Carolina under legendary head coach Dawn Staley for the 2025-26 season.
This marks their first time sharing the court since their high school glory days in Atlanta, where they led Westlake High to three consecutive state titles and a GEICO National Championship in 2021. Now, they’re poised to recreate that magic on the biggest stage in women’s college hoops.
Latson, who topped the NCAA scoring charts last season with 25.2 points per game at Florida State, became one of the most sought-after names in the transfer portal after the Seminoles were bounced from the NCAA Tournament. On April 8, she made headlines by announcing her commitment to the Gamecocks—just 10 minutes before Johnson confirmed she would return to USC for her final year of eligibility.
The timing wasn’t a coincidence.
“Honestly, me and Raven have kept in touch since I was at Florida State,” Latson shared. “We text almost every other day… She also played a huge role while I was in the transfer portal. She tried to convince me—and you know, that’s my girl—so I wanted to play with her for my last year of college.”
According to Johnson, the recruiting pitch started early and was consistent.
“I would tell her let’s run it back,” Johnson said before South Carolina’s Sweet 16 game. “She knows what a winning culture feels like, a disciplined basketball team… I’m definitely in her ear. I’d be happy—we all would be happy to play with her.”
Latson admitted the connection made her decision to choose South Carolina feel natural. “She’s like my sister,” she said. “I knew she was going to definitely convince me to come here.”
Their history is filled with success. During their shared time at Westlake, the team posted a jaw-dropping 82-2 record. In 2021, the year they clinched the national championship, Latson was named an All-American and earned a spot on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Class 6A First-Team.
Their former coach, Hilda Hankerson, called them a “one-two punch” in an April interview, praising the synergy between the two players.
That chemistry has already started to resurface in practice. “Thank God, I got my point guard back,” Latson said with a smile after Johnson fed her for a bucket.
“Me and Raven, we’re just trying to build that chemistry again, taking it day by day,” she added. “But we’re super excited to get the season started.”
Latson emphasized how well they understand each other on the floor. “We just read each other really, really well,” she explained. “She knows my spots. I know her spots… her confidence is getting back to where she needs to be, and she’s also given me that confidence to be myself.”
As the 2025-26 season approaches, the Gamecocks not only boast one of the most talented backcourts in the nation but also a duo with championship DNA and unbreakable chemistry. For fans of South Carolina, this reunion could be the spark that fuels another unforgettable season.
