We received’t be seeing Olivia Miles and Ta’Niya Latson within the ACC subsequent season.
The multi-time All-American level guard and the nation’s main scorer entered the switch portal close to the tip of March. On Tuesday, they introduced their new properties.
Miles will spend her remaining yr of faculty basketball within the Large 12 at TCU, the place she’ll step into the sneakers of Hailey Van Lith and be the subsequent in what’s turning into a prolonged line of proficient guards to swimsuit up for Mark Campbell. Latson, in the meantime, reunites along with her highschool teammate Raven Johnson at South Carolina, and offers a scoring punch to a crew that might use one after dropping the nationwide title recreation to UConn by 23 factors.
When Miles and Latson entered the portal, they instantly grew to become the most effective gamers in it and left massive voids on their former groups, Notre Dame and Florida State. They may now be anticipated to offer boosts to their new groups. Miles shall be tasked with guaranteeing that TCU’s first-ever Elite Eight run wasn’t only a flash within the pan, whereas Latson shall be saddled with doing all she will to assist South Carolina get again to the Large Dance’s greatest stage.
Right here’s how each gamers change the outlook for his or her respective groups.
Olivia Miles makes TCU a contender once more
The Horned Frogs are coming off their finest season in program historical past. In its second marketing campaign below Mark Campbell, TCU received a program-record 34 video games, received the Large 12 for the primary time ever, after which performed within the Candy 16 and Elite Eight for the primary time ever.
However at the very least three of the highest 4 gamers from that roster — Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Agnes Emma-Nnopu — are transferring on, both off to the WNBA or out of eligibility. The way forward for a fourth, All-Large 12 First Workforce choice Madison Conner, appears to be unclear as she was celebrated on TCU’s senior evening however might have one other yr of eligibility left and hasn’t publicly indicated whether or not or not she is pursuing the WNBA Draft this yr.
No matter Conner’s standing, TCU had work to do within the portal to maintain its roster at a contending stage, contemplating the departures of the opposite three starters and that the Horned Frogs have zero ESPN High 100 recruits incoming this season. The addition of Miles, nonetheless, makes TCU a direct contender for the Large 12 title once more and can put it in place for an additional deep March Insanity run.
In each season she’s been wholesome, Miles has been to the Candy 16. She helped Notre Dame win an ACC common season title in 2023 earlier than then lacking all of what would have been her pure junior season with a knee damage. The purpose guard from New Jersey bounced again in an enormous method this season although, incomes All-ACC and All-American honors for the third time in her profession. Following a season during which she averaged 15.4 factors, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per recreation whereas capturing 40.6 % from 3-point land, Miles doubtless would have been a high 5 choose within the WNBA Draft. As a substitute, she improves TCU’s outlook in an enormous method.
“There may be not a greater level guard within the nation than Olivia,” Campbell stated in assertion. “She is a generational expertise. Her imaginative and prescient, creativity, and playmaking capacity make her an ideal slot in our choose and roll system.”
TCU has additionally added Kentucky middle Clara Silva and Texas A&M guard Taliyah Parker to pair with Miles and returning starter Donovyn Hunter. And the portal is much from closing.
Ta’Niya Latson provides South Carolina what it was lacking
A participant coached by Daybreak Staley has not averaged north of 20 factors per recreation since A’ja Wilson’s senior yr within the 2017-18 season. A few of that’s by design, as Staley lately has performed a deep and a balanced rotation. The final participant to play greater than half-hour per recreation for Staley was Destanni Henderson within the 2021-22 season.
That hasn’t been a criticism of Staley lately, however South Carolina’s lack of a bus driver — a go-to scorer, somebody the Gamecocks might depend on to get buckets in significant moments when their protection and system wasn’t getting the job finished — was obvious this season. Completely different gamers stepped up at completely different occasions, however the Gamecocks lacked a dynamic offensive weapon who might get them 20 factors or extra recreation after recreation.
Enter Latson, who will spend her remaining season of faculty basketball with the Gamecocks after enjoying three years at Florida State. Latson has averaged greater than 21 factors per recreation in every of her collegiate seasons, together with 25.2 factors per recreation this season which led the nation. Latson was additionally eighth nationally in free throws made, second in utilization charge, sixth in PER and fifth in offensive win shares per 40 minutes.
Merely put, she’s going to enhance South Carolina’s offense in an enormous method. A former winner of the Tamika Catchings Nationwide Freshman of the Yr award, Latson was an All-American this season and was a three-time All-ACC choice.
Latson will fill Te-Hina Paopao’s spot at capturing guard and doubtless get many extra open appears than she bought at Florida State the place she was far and away the No. 1 scoring possibility. Paired with a veteran in Raven Johnson and electrical juniors in MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson, Latson may give South Carolina the most-talented backcourt within the nation.
