Ta’Niya Latson was the most dominant scorer in college basketball two years ago. Leading the nation at Florida State, she could get a bucket from anywhere on the floor. Now she’s a WNBA rookie averaging five minutes a game for the Los Angeles Sparks. That’s a hard adjustment, and it’s not just about the jump in talent.
The Sparks grabbed Latson with the 20th pick in the 2026 draft and felt like they stole her. Their internal board had her ranked much higher. Head coach Lynne Roberts called her a three-level scorer and specifically noted her point-of-attack defense. But the promise of draft night hasn’t translated to consistent playing time yet.
Her 5.0 minutes per game are the lowest on the roster except for Emma Cannon, a situational veteran. Even with All-Star Kelsey Plum sidelined by a leg injury, Latson hasn’t cracked the rotation. The Sparks brought in Kiana Williams from Phoenix to run the backup point guard spot rather than force Latson or fellow rookie Chance Gray into that role.
Why the Rookie Is Playing a New Position
The biggest reason Latson isn’t playing more is simple: the Sparks want her to be a point guard. In college, she was a shooting guard who scored first and passed second. She averaged around four assists in her best seasons, but she wasn’t asked to run an offense and direct veterans. Now that’s exactly what they want.
“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 told ClutchPoints. “It’s been an adjustment, but I have great vets around me, great leaders and the coaching staff has been helping me a lot.”
Playing point in the WNBA means knowing where everyone should be after a timeout, calling sets, pushing pace, and staying organized. Roberts acknowledged that signing Williams was partly about not wanting to play Latson out of position too much. But the team clearly sees something in her handle and vision worth developing.
The Mindset Part Is Just as Hard
Latson turned to former South Carolina teammate Zia Cooke, who went through the same minutes struggle with the Sparks her first two seasons. Cooke’s advice was simple: stay confident, stay ready, and don’t let your identity get wrapped up in playing time.
“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,” Latson said.
That part she controls. She’s learning to be the energy on the bench, the one who stays engaged and positive. It sounds small, but rookies who pout over minutes usually don’t get more of them. And in a player-driven locker room like the Sparks have, being a good teammate is a skill that gets noticed.
What Comes Next
Latson’s path to playing time goes through the catch-and-shoot game. The Sparks need consistent three-point shooting, and if she can knock down those looks, it gives Roberts a reason to put her on the floor with the scorers. Her on-ball reps in college taught her to read the defense, even if she was mostly looking for her own shot. That vision is starting to translate.
“I feel like now I can kind of slow down, see the defense, see how they move and make reads,” she said. “Putting people in the right position to playmake. I feel like that, from college, is translating here now.”
The Sparks are a veteran team with playoff ambitions. They don’t have room to force minutes for a rookie learning a new job on the fly. But Latson is putting in the film work, the gym reps, and the locker room capital. At some point, that combination usually pays off.
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