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When South Carolina women’s basketball lost to UConn in the 2025 national championship game, it didn’t have Ta’Niya Latson or Agot Makeer.
So, it’s only fitting those two players played pivotal roles in helping the No. 1 seed Gamecocks (36-3) take down the No. 1 overall seed Huskies (38-1) in this year’s Final Four.
The pair finished as the game’s top two scorers and combined for 30 points in South Carolina’s 62-48 win over UConn at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 3.
South Carolina will now play No. 1 seed UCLA in the national championship on April 5.
“It means a lot. This is why I came to South Carolina,” Latson said. “It was a personal sacrifice that I had to make. I mean, I know a lot of people don't get that, they don't understand my why. I did. This is my why.”
Latson transferred from Florida State after leading the nation in scoring during the 2024-25 season at 25.2 points per game. With the Gamecocks, her scoring average dropped to 14.4 points. Yet, she never questioned her decision.
“I feel like I was really confident in coming to South Carolina,” she said. “I still am. I wouldn't change anything. I would 100% do it again.”
“I think that Ta'Niya just made huge sacrifices, individual sacrifices,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “Wasn't an All-American this year. If she's not going to get the individual awards, I want her to be part of a national championship team.”
Playing in her first Final Four, Latson finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the team in scoring and rebounding. Though she was 3-for-10 from the floor, she shot 10-for-10 at the free-throw line.
It’s the second time she’s led the Gamecocks in scoring in the NCAA Tournament. In the Sweet 16, she scored 28 points to lead the Gamecocks past No. 4 seed Oklahoma.
“I knew I had to impact the game in any way I could,” Latson said. “I wanted this win. Whether that was rebounding, scoring, assisting, I was going to do what I had to do.”
As a freshman, Makeer was also making her Final Four debut. She was the team's second-leading scorer with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting. She has scored in double figures in all five NCAA Tournament games despite averaging 7.2 points on the season.
“Tonight, I was just focused on doing what I've been doing all tournament: just staying levelheaded,” she said. “Obviously I'm going to miss shots. Sometimes I'm going to turn the ball over. But just staying steady on the defensive end, and then doing whatever I can on the offensive end.”
As the tournament has progressed, Makeer’s minutes have ticked up, leading to more opportunities for her to have a greater impact on the game. Seven of her points in the Final Four came in the fourth quarter.
“(Agot) did her,” Joyce Edwards said. “She went out there, she played basketball. She played out there confidently, and she’s coming into herself. I’m really proud of her.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Ta'Niya Latson, Agot Makeer star in South Carolina Final Four win
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So, it’s only fitting those two players played pivotal roles in helping the No. 1 seed Gamecocks (36-3) take down the No. 1 overall seed Huskies (38-1) in this year’s Final Four.
The pair finished as the game’s top two scorers and combined for 30 points in South Carolina’s 62-48 win over UConn at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 3.
South Carolina will now play No. 1 seed UCLA in the national championship on April 5.
“It means a lot. This is why I came to South Carolina,” Latson said. “It was a personal sacrifice that I had to make. I mean, I know a lot of people don't get that, they don't understand my why. I did. This is my why.”
Latson transferred from Florida State after leading the nation in scoring during the 2024-25 season at 25.2 points per game. With the Gamecocks, her scoring average dropped to 14.4 points. Yet, she never questioned her decision.
“I feel like I was really confident in coming to South Carolina,” she said. “I still am. I wouldn't change anything. I would 100% do it again.”
“I think that Ta'Niya just made huge sacrifices, individual sacrifices,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “Wasn't an All-American this year. If she's not going to get the individual awards, I want her to be part of a national championship team.”
Playing in her first Final Four, Latson finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the team in scoring and rebounding. Though she was 3-for-10 from the floor, she shot 10-for-10 at the free-throw line.
It’s the second time she’s led the Gamecocks in scoring in the NCAA Tournament. In the Sweet 16, she scored 28 points to lead the Gamecocks past No. 4 seed Oklahoma.
“I knew I had to impact the game in any way I could,” Latson said. “I wanted this win. Whether that was rebounding, scoring, assisting, I was going to do what I had to do.”
Agot Makeer stays hot in first NCAA Tournament
As a freshman, Makeer was also making her Final Four debut. She was the team's second-leading scorer with 14 points on 5-for-9 shooting. She has scored in double figures in all five NCAA Tournament games despite averaging 7.2 points on the season.
“Tonight, I was just focused on doing what I've been doing all tournament: just staying levelheaded,” she said. “Obviously I'm going to miss shots. Sometimes I'm going to turn the ball over. But just staying steady on the defensive end, and then doing whatever I can on the offensive end.”
As the tournament has progressed, Makeer’s minutes have ticked up, leading to more opportunities for her to have a greater impact on the game. Seven of her points in the Final Four came in the fourth quarter.
“(Agot) did her,” Joyce Edwards said. “She went out there, she played basketball. She played out there confidently, and she’s coming into herself. I’m really proud of her.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Ta'Niya Latson, Agot Makeer star in South Carolina Final Four win
Continue reading...
