Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson, the nation's leading scorer, is underrated

Florida State’s Ta’Niya Latson leads the nation in scoring at 26.5 points per game. The 5-foot-8 junior guard isn’t just putting up points, though. She’s also averaging 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.6 steals while shooting an efficient 49% from the field and 47% from deep.

And her team is 16-4 and 6-2 in the ACC.

Yet there are few that have Latson in the player of the year conversation.

“I don’t get it,” Florida State coach Brooke Wyckoff told On3. “I really don’t. We have some amazing players in the ACC, and Hannah Hidalgo, obviously, is one that does a lot of things. With Ta’Niya, everyone thinks she’s just a scorer. Well, she’s not.” 

She does it all – including scoring game-winners against top 25 teams on the road. 

Florida State earned their biggest victory of the season on Sunday when the Noles took down No. 13 North Carolina, 86-84, in Chapel Hill. Latson made the game-winning layup at the buzzer and finished with 25 points and seven assists in the win. 

Wyckoff hopes this performance on a big stage will lead to the recognition Latson deserves. 

“I’m glad with this game against this top 15 team that a lot of people saw it,” Wyckoff said. “I’m hoping she’ll start to get that recognition.” 

There were plenty of moments this season where Latson has played like a NPOY candidate. She earned her first career triple-double against Gonzaga back in late November. She dropped a 40-piece at Virginia Tech on Jan. 2. She’s had 10 assists on three separate occasions this season.

These career-defining moments come from Latson’s growth in mentality. As a freshman, she had a lot of weight on her shoulders. She was named national freshman of the year and compiled too many accolades to list. 

Last season as a sophomore, she had some ups and downs and wound up shooting 44% from the field and just 27% from beyond the arc. But this year, her consistency and improved efficiency can be attributed to that shift in mindset. 

“That’s the growth,” Wyckoff said. “It’s the mentality and the weight that she’s always, since her freshman year, had to handle and to carry. She’s just managing it so much better this year, and it’s been really cool to watch. I’m happy for her, to be able to see her manage it and carry it as consistently as she has.” 

This season hasn’t come without its challenges. The expectations were high entering the season and there have been moments where the Seminoles have struggled. 

Florida State has four losses this season – all on the road – but their resilience has made them capable of beating out some of the nation’s best. 

“It was like, ‘Illinois was disappointing, Tennessee was disappointing, California was disappointing,” Wyckoff said. “How do we bounce back?’ And we have every single time.”