COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball star guard Ta’Niya Latson is dealing with an ankle sprain, coach Dawn Staley confirmed for the first time on Jan. 1.
The No. 3 Gamecocks (14-1) opened SEC play with an 83-57 win over Alabama without Latson, who was injured in the final non-conference game on Dec. 28 against Providence.
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Staley previously ruled out Latson for the game on Dec. 31, but didn’t provide a detailed update on the injury until after the Alabama game.
“She’s day to day, it’s a sprain,” Staley said. “It’s her pain tolerance, it’s an ankle that she rolled earlier this season and it just kind of got irritated again.”
South Carolina now moves to play Florida in Gainesville on Jan. 4 (2 p.m., SEC Network).
Dawn Staley gives Ta’Niya Latson injury update
The timeline for a return after an ankle sprain varies on severity, but Staley has yet to say how long Latson is expected to be out. Jan. 1 was the second straight day Staley explained it as “day to day.”
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Not having all 10 players in Staley’s lineup is not a new issue this season, as she’s only finished a game with all 10 players three times.
In Latson’s absence, freshman Agot Makeer got her first career start, coming off a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Providence when Latson got hurt. Agot finished with nine points in the 20 minutes she played against the No. 24 Crimson Tide (14-1).
Alicia Tournebize arrives in Columbia
On Dec. 22, the program announced Alicia Tournebize, a 6-foot-7 player from France, will play for the team this season. The team announced after the Alabama game she had arrived in Columbia.
When asked Dec. 31 if she would be ready for the Florida game Jan. 4, Staley said, “Sunday? I don’t know, maybe,” with a smile and little chuckle but at that time had no further update on her arrival or status. Staley will address the media again on Jan. 2 to preview the Florida game.
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Staley said Dec. 28 Tournebize had paperwork to complete before she could play. The semester begins Jan. 12 for students, with the on-campus offices that Tournebize likely needs to get ready to play opening around Jan. 5.
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dawn Staley details Ta’Niya Latson injury, Alicia Tournebize arrives
