Columbia, SC — As South Carolina awaits Monday’s medical evaluation of Ta’Niya Latson’s ankle injury, head coach Dawn Staley faces crucial decisions about how to replace one of her most productive and versatile players. The senior guard’s potential absence creates a significant void that will require strategic adjustments as the Gamecocks enter SEC competition.
The Magnitude of the Loss
Latson has been instrumental to South Carolina’s success this season, posting impressive numbers across the board. She’s contributing 16.9 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting career-best percentages of 51.9% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc.
As the team’s second-leading scorer and a vital component of their fast-break attack, Latson’s impact extends beyond statistics. Her ability to create plays in transition and make sound decisions with the ball has been invaluable.
The Injury Details
The incident occurred with 4:18 remaining in the first half as Latson attacked the basket in transition. While driving toward a layup, she appeared to lose her footing—video replays couldn’t definitively show whether she stepped on a defender’s foot—and collapsed to the floor, immediately clutching her foot in visible distress.
Head coach Dawn Staley and athletic trainer Craig Oates immediately attended to the injured guard. Though they helped her stand, Latson couldn’t place any weight on the affected foot as they escorted her to the locker room.
“She’s got an ankle sprain, for right now. Knock on wood,” Staley said in a post-game interview on the SEC Network.
During her subsequent media availability, Staley provided additional context, noting that Monday’s medical examination will determine the injury’s full scope.
“She’s smiling. She got treatment all second half and just walked out,” Staley said. “I think we’ll look at her tomorrow.”
Option 1: Agot Makeer – The Most Probable Solution
The Case For Makeer:
This appears to be the most natural substitution. Makeer entered the starting lineup to begin the second half against Providence, suggesting Staley’s initial thinking on how to address Latson’s absence.
Before her five-game absence while in concussion protocol, Makeer consistently served as the first player off the bench, demonstrating the coaching staff’s confidence in her abilities. She’s a capable defender who excels in fast-break situations, aligning perfectly with South Carolina’s preferred style of play.
Despite showing some expected rustiness in her return against Providence, Makeer still managed a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, showcasing her potential impact.
Strategic Considerations:
If Staley elects to start Makeer, she faces a decision about positional adjustments. She could move Tessa Johnson to Latson’s guard position while inserting Makeer into Johnson’s previous spot, or maintain Johnson’s current role to minimize overall lineup disruption.
The flexibility in how Makeer integrates into the starting unit makes this option particularly attractive for maintaining roster continuity.
Option 2: Ayla McDowell – The Freshman Factor
The Case For McDowell:
Among reserve players, the freshman McDowell stands out as the only one to appear in all 14 games this season, giving her marginally more recent game experience than Makeer.
While officially listed as a guard, McDowell functions more naturally as a wing or stretch forward. Her three-point shooting prowess—connecting at a 37.1% clip—represents a valuable offensive weapon.
Strategic Considerations:
Selecting McDowell would require sliding Johnson over to handle guard duties while McDowell occupies the wing position. This configuration would enhance South Carolina’s perimeter shooting capability compared to using Makeer, who’s converting just 27.3% of her three-point attempts.
However, this approach sacrifices some athleticism and playmaking versatility that Makeer provides. The trade-off between shooting efficiency and all-around dynamism represents the central consideration in choosing between these two options.
Option 3: Maddy McDaniel – The Experience Alternative
The Case For McDaniel:
If Staley prioritizes experience in her starting lineup, the sophomore McDaniel becomes the logical choice. Though primarily a point guard, McDaniel has demonstrated versatility playing alongside starting point guard Raven Johnson in two-guard sets for extended periods this season.
McDaniel’s primary strength lies in her ability to penetrate and attack the basket, though her three-point shooting has shown improvement. While neither McDaniel nor Johnson profiles as a primary scoring threat, both can contribute enough offensively to prevent defenses from completely ignoring them.
Strategic Considerations:
The significant drawback to promoting McDaniel into the starting unit is the resulting loss of depth at backup point guard. South Carolina managed without McDaniel for four games earlier this season, but that situation featured Latson assuming substantial backup point guard responsibilities.
With Latson now sidelined, asking the team to navigate without both players could prove problematic. Staley may be reluctant to deplete her point guard depth, particularly as the team enters the demanding SEC schedule.
The Broader Impact
Regardless of which option Staley pursues, Latson’s absence will reverberate throughout the roster. Her scoring production, playmaking ability, and transition excellence represent multifaceted contributions that can’t be replicated by simply inserting another player into the lineup.
The Gamecocks may need to adopt a “replacement by committee” approach, with multiple players assuming portions of Latson’s responsibilities rather than expecting one individual to shoulder the entire burden.
Offensive Adjustments:
South Carolina’s offensive scheme may require modification to account for Latson’s absence. Her ability to create shots for herself and others in transition has been a cornerstone of the team’s attacking philosophy. Without her, the Gamecocks might need to rely more heavily on structured half-court offense and increase scoring responsibilities for other established weapons.
Defensive Considerations:
While offense garners most of the attention when discussing Latson’s value, her defensive contributions—averaging 1.6 steals per game—also require replacement. The perimeter defense and ball pressure she provides will need to come from elsewhere in the rotation.
Timeline and Recovery
The Monday evaluation will prove critical in establishing expectations for Latson’s return timeline. Ankle sprains vary dramatically in severity, from minor issues requiring just days of rest to more serious high-ankle sprains that can sideline athletes for weeks or even months.
South Carolina’s medical staff will need to balance the desire to have Latson available for crucial SEC games against the long-term consideration of ensuring complete recovery before her return. Rushing back from ankle injuries can lead to reinjury or compensatory problems in other areas.
Looking Forward
As South Carolina prepares to face Alabama on New Year’s Day to open SEC play, the roster decisions Staley makes in response to Latson’s injury could significantly impact the team’s championship trajectory. The depth that seemed like a luxury when everyone was healthy now becomes essential as the Gamecocks navigate this adversity.
Whether Staley opts for Makeer’s athleticism and defensive prowess, McDowell’s shooting and youth, or McDaniel’s experience and ball-handling, the adjustment period will test South Carolina’s resilience and adaptability.
The mark of championship-caliber programs often lies not in how they perform at full strength, but in how they respond when adversity strikes. For South Carolina, the coming weeks will reveal whether this team possesses the depth, versatility, and mental toughness necessary to maintain its elite status while one of its key contributors recovers.
Monday’s medical evaluation will provide the first piece of crucial information. Staley’s subsequent roster decisions will write the next chapter in what has already been a season requiring considerable navigation of injuries and absences. The Gamecocks’ championship aspirations may well depend on how successfully they solve this latest challenge.
