We gained’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 top of March. On Tuesday, they introduced their new properties.
Miles will spend her ultimate yr of faculty basketball within the Huge 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 gifted guards to swimsuit up for Mark Campbell. Latson, in the meantime, reunites together with her highschool teammate Raven Johnson at South Carolina, and offers a scoring punch to a crew that might use one after shedding the nationwide title sport to UConn by 23 factors.
When Miles and Latson entered the portal, they instantly turned the very best gamers in it and left large voids on their former groups, Notre Dame and Florida State. They are going to now be anticipated to supply boosts to their new groups. Miles can be tasked with guaranteeing that TCU’s first-ever Elite Eight run wasn’t only a flash within the pan, whereas Latson can be saddled with doing all she will to assist South Carolina get again to the Huge 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 greatest season in program historical past. In its second marketing campaign underneath Mark Campbell, TCU gained a program-record 34 video games, gained the Huge 12 for the primary time ever, after which performed within the Candy 16 and Elite Eight for the primary time ever.
However a minimum of three of the highest 4 gamers from that roster — Hailey Van Lith, Sedona Prince and Agnes Emma-Nnopu — are shifting on, both off to the WNBA or out of eligibility. The way forward for a fourth, All-Huge 12 First Group choice Madison Conner, appears to be unclear as she was celebrated on TCU’s senior night time however could 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 degree, 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 an instantaneous contender for the Huge 12 title once more and can put it in place for one more 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 harm. The purpose guard from New Jersey bounced again in a giant approach this season although, incomes All-ACC and All-American honors for the third time in her profession. Following a season wherein she averaged 15.4 factors, 5.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists per sport whereas capturing 40.6 % from 3-point land, Miles possible would have been a prime 5 decide within the WNBA Draft. As a substitute, she improves TCU’s outlook in an enormous approach.
“There’s not a greater level guard within the nation than Olivia,” Campbell mentioned in assertion. “She is a generational expertise. Her imaginative and prescient, creativity, and playmaking potential make her an ideal slot in our decide and roll system.”
TCU has additionally added Kentucky heart Clara Silva and Texas A&M guard Taliyah Parker to pair with Miles and returning starter Donovyn Hunter. And the portal is way from closing.
Ta’Niya Latson offers South Carolina what it was lacking
A participant coached by Daybreak Staley has not averaged north of 20 factors per sport since A’ja Wilson’s senior yr within the 2017-18 season. A few of that’s by design, as Staley in recent times has performed a deep and a balanced rotation. The final participant to play greater than half-hour per sport for Staley was Destanni Henderson within the 2021-22 season.
That hasn’t been a criticism of Staley in recent times, however South Carolina’s lack of a bus driver — a go-to scorer, somebody the Gamecocks might rely on to get buckets in significant moments when their protection and system wasn’t getting the job executed — was obvious this season. Completely different gamers stepped up at totally different instances, however the Gamecocks lacked a dynamic offensive weapon who might get them 20 factors or extra sport after sport.
Enter Latson, who will spend her ultimate season of faculty basketball with the Gamecocks after enjoying three years at Florida State. Latson has averaged greater than 21 factors per sport in every of her collegiate seasons, together with 25.2 factors per sport this season which led the nation. Latson was additionally eighth nationally in free throws made, second in utilization price, sixth in PER and fifth in offensive win shares per 40 minutes.
Merely put, she’s going to enhance South Carolina’s offense in a giant approach. 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 possibly get many extra open seems to be than she received at Florida State the place she was far and away the No. 1 scoring choice. 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.
