Exclusive: How Ta’Niya Latson has navigated Sparks rookie season

It isn’t easy going from being a star in college, to rarely seeing playing time as a pro. During her junior year at Florida State, Ta’Niya Latson led the nation scoring, but hasn’t been able to crack the Los Angeles Sparks’ rotation during her rookie year in the WNBA.

The 20th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Sparks felt like they got a steal when Latson was still on the board. She was originally a projected first round pick, even a possible lottery selection. So they knew when she was available, they could not pass her up.

“Our draft model and everything had her a lot higher than 20. So we were excited she was still there,” said Sparks head coach Lynne Roberts immediately after the draft. “She can shoot it, she can get to the basket, she’s great in transition. And then I think something that we really needed, and we’re excited about, is just her defense. Her point of attack defense.”

But as the regular season has gotten underway, playing time has been hard to come by. Latson’s 5.0 minutes per game are last on the team behind only eight-year veteran Emma Cannon who is a situational-type player. The Sparks have needed help in the backcourt amid a recent injury to All-Star Kelsey Plum, but it’s still been tough for her to see the court.

It’s tough not knowing when your next bit of game action is going to be, nor how long you’ll be on the court when that time does come. It’s all part of the learning experience for young players. To help with the transition, Latson turned to a familiar face in fellow South Carolina alum Zia Cooke, someone who understands what she’s going through. Cooke struggled to find consistent playing time during her first two seasons in the WNBA with the Sparks.

”She was just telling me to keep being confident, and stay confident,” Latson told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “I feel like just getting in a gym, putting my head down, being a great teammate no matter what the outcome is whether I’m getting 20 minutes or four minutes or no minutes, I got to remain the same and stay ready. Just always be ready whether my name is called or not. I’m always gonna be ready.”

Ta’Niya Latson’s role with Sparks

Perhaps the key reason why Ta’Niya Latson’s minutes have fluctuated during her rookie season in the WNBA is because she’s essentially trying to learn a new position. In college at both Florida State and South Carolina, she was primarily a shooting guard. Even when she did have the ball in her hands more often with the Seminoles, she was a scorer, not necessarily a playmaker.

With the Sparks, Latson has been asked to play more point guard. The team has preferred Plum to be more of a playmaking two, alongside another experienced facilitator, and have searched for a consistent backup at the one. And it hasn’t been all that easy of a transition. It’s not uncommon to see players struggle at first learning a different position, especially when they’re trying to get used to the pro level as a whole.

“That’s something new for me, especially because I haven’t really played point guard ever in my life, especially at the highest level,” Latson said. “It’s been an adjustment, but I have great vets around me, great leaders and the coaching staff has been helping me a lot. Just watching a lot of film and just doing what they want me to do.”

During her sophomore and junior years in college, Latson averaged 4.2 and 4.6 assists, respectively. Even in an off-ball role alongside point guard extraordinaire Raven Johnson with the Gamecocks, she still dished out over three assists per game.

That playmaking ability is there, but it’s going to take time and reps in order to get it down pat. It doesn’t happen overnight. While Latson had some experience with being a ball-handler, this is a much-different role than what she’s used to. A point guard is arguably the most important position on the court. She’s a rookie being asked to quarterback a veteran team.

“You have to have everybody in their right spots, and especially after timeouts. You got to know exactly what Coach wants, whether she wants to run on the left side or the right side, you got to do that,” Latson said. “You got to be able to execute and push the pace, because that’s what we talk about a lot, pushing the pace. And then just being organized. I feel like that’s the biggest adjustment for me.”

Some of it is starting to pay off, even if it’s not always noticeable from the outside world. Playing on-ball in college forced Latson to see the game differently. Reading the entire court and seeing how the defense is reacting. Even if that was primarily for her to get her own shot, it helps.

And the college game is obviously much different than the WNBA. Players are just as strong, just as quick and just as talented, if not more than incoming rookies. But getting those reps helped Latson not be at a complete disadvantage when she joined the Sparks. Even when she isn’t on the court, going up against her veteran teammates in practice is incredibly beneficial.

“Obviously playing both on-ball, I was more looking to score. But I feel like now I can kind of slow down, see the defense, see how they move and make reads,” Latson said. “Putting people in the right position to playmake. I feel like that, from college, is translating here now. I’m a great playmaker and I feel like me playing the point is going to showcase that a lot more.”

The Sparks recently signed Kiana Williams away from the Phoenix Mercury to bolster their backcourt depth in the wake of Plum’s leg injury. Since her arrival, she’s been the primary backup at the point guard spot. Roberts acknowledged that the signing was largely due to not wanting to play Latson and fellow rookie guard Chance Gray too much out of position.

Latson’s expertise coming into the WNBA was being able to score. If she’s to play her more natural shooting guard position, and fit in alongside the Sparks’ other scoring threats, she knows how important her off-ball movement is going to be. One area of need for the team is consistent 3-point shooting. Continuing to get catch-and-shoot opportunities and nail down that jump shot could help Latson eventually seen minutes.

“Just being ready to shoot. I feel like that’s the biggest thing, knowing that a shot is coming,” Latson said. “Coach wants threes and layups, so that’s something that I’ve been really paying attention to, especially with player development. Sed [Everrett] has been helping me a lot with my shot so, just keeping getting reps, keep getting that repetition.”

With the Sparks being a player-driven team, as Roberts has often described them as, Latson has been able to find her niche even when she isn’t on the court. Each player can find their own leadership role, the rookies included. For Latson, it’s simply being a good teammate.

She doesn’t always have control over how many minutes she’s going to play. But what she can do is continue to keep an upbeat vibe and add to the mood of the locker room. She can express herself on the bench and cheer on her teammates. And continue to just soak up as much as she can for whenever her time will come.

“If you pay attention to not getting a minute or not getting what you want, you’re taking yourself out of being a good teammate. And I feel like first and foremost, that’s what everybody should be because it’s for the betterment of the team,” Latson said. “I feel like that’s going to lead by example and people are going to want to follow that.”

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