The Las Vegas Aces kept reshaping the back end of their roster Wednesday, signing rookie guard Ta’Niya Latson to a development player contract.
Latson gives Las Vegas a young scoring guard with a strong college résumé and a different path than the team’s other recent addition. The Sparks drafted Latson No. 20 overall in the second round of the 2026 WNBA Draft before waiving her July 6.
Another roster swing
The move continues a quick roster reset for Las Vegas.
The Aces waived Chennedy Carter on Tuesday, signed 6-foot-4 guard/forward Justine Pissott later that day and added Latson on Wednesday. Carter gave Las Vegas efficient bench scoring when available, while Pissott and Latson give the Aces two young development options with different profiles.
Pissott brings size and shooting. Latson brings downhill scoring, creation upside and a track record of carrying offense before learning how to play a smaller role at a national power.
Scoring résumé
Latson’s college numbers are hard to miss.
She played three seasons at Florida State before transferring to South Carolina for her senior year. Across 128 college starts, Latson averaged 20.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 83.4 percent from the free throw line.
Her biggest scoring season came as a junior at Florida State. Latson led NCAA Division I with 25.2 points per game and earned Associated Press and USBWA All-America second-team honors.
She also was the 2023 USBWA and WBCA National Freshman of the Year and a three-time All-ACC first-team selection.
Role shift
Latson’s senior season showed a different layer.
At South Carolina, she started all 35 games and averaged 14.1 points and 3.6 assists while helping the Gamecocks go 36-4 and finish as the NCAA runner-up. Her usage dropped, but her efficiency improved. She shot 48.6 percent from the field and cut her turnovers to 1.7 per game.
That matters for Las Vegas because Latson is not arriving as an instant rotation fix. She is a development bet with scoring upside, experience in multiple roles and a chance to grow inside a veteran guard room.
Latson also spoke about the edge she built in the South during her college career.
“My competitive spirit comes from the South. Here, you gotta come with an edge. It’s really good competition, really good coaches. It’s an attitude,” Latson told Southern Living.
Sparks squeeze
Latson’s first WNBA stop did not last long.
She played 10 games for Los Angeles and averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebounds in limited minutes. The Sparks tried her at point guard, but the transition was difficult in a small role.
Los Angeles waived Latson as injuries forced the Sparks to adjust their roster and lean on more experienced options. That left Las Vegas with a chance to add a former elite college scorer without needing to force her into an immediate role.
Development bet
Latson, 5-foot-8, was a 2022 McDonald’s All-American and Florida Miss Basketball at American Heritage School in Plantation, Florida.
She now joins an Aces team that has been searching for more answers on the edge of the rotation. The move does not need to solve everything right away. Instead, it gives Las Vegas another young guard to evaluate while the team works through a busy stretch of roster movement.
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Dice City Sports editor Mark Hebert covers the Las Vegas Aces, Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, Athletics, and UNLV baseball and softball. He has 24 years of journalism experience, is also a senior reporter at Exhibit City News, and previously covered the Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers. Follow him on X or connect on LinkedIn.
