{"id":1378,"date":"2026-05-07T10:55:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:55:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1378"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:55:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:55:21","slug":"wnba-draft-sparks-add-south-carolinas-taniya-latson-among-3-picks-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1378","title":{"rendered":"WNBA draft: Sparks add South Carolina\u2019s Ta\u2019Niya Latson among 3 picks"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LOS ANGELES \u2014 The Sparks drafted a prolific scorer who they were surprised was still available early in the second round of the WNBA draft on Monday night.<\/p>\n

Read more UFC\u2019s Tatiana Suarez biding her time for another title shot<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sparks selected South Carolina senior guard Ta\u2019Niya Latson, who led the nation in scoring average as a junior, with the No. 20 pick overall on Monday night in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a surreal moment,\u201d Latson said. \u201cIt\u2019s a dream come true. \u2026 I\u2019m just ready to get to work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Latson, who was among the players the league officially invited to attend the draft as a Top 15 prospect, was considered a first-round talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cSurprising to us that Ta\u2019Niya was able to be available at the 20th pick for us,\u201d Sparks general manager Raegan Pebley said, \u201cso really excited about the chance to bring her into this organization.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 5-foot-8 guard led the nation in scoring at 25.2 points per game when she was a junior at Florida State.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love a good scoring guard,\u201d Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said. \u201cWe always want to put more points on the board than the other team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Latson averaged 14.1 points per game for the national runner-up Gamecocks as a senior.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cTo Lynne\u2019s point, this is a great offense for her to excel in and to be great in and shine,\u201d Pebley added. \u201cI think the table is set for Latson to have some success her rookie year.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 22-year-old has been mentored by Sparks All-Star and leading scorer Kelsey Plum. She said she is looking forward to bringing her style of play to Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I can bring my ability to get downhill and score the ball,\u201d Latson continued. \u201cAlso, I\u2019m a two-way player too and I can bring a lot of other things to the table. I\u2019m a really good teammate so I\u2019m excited. I\u2019m ready to win and work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pebley believes her Latson will learn a lot from two of the craftiest guards in the game.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

\u201cHaving vets like Kelsey Plum and Erica Wheeler around a young guard like that, is a tremendous opportunity for her,\u201d Pebley explained. \u201cShe\u2019ll soak up everything that they have to teach her. I know those are two veterans that love it when young guards want to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more UFC 327: Carlos Ulberg wins UFC light heavyweight belt with 1st-round KO<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sparks added outside shooting with their next two picks. They took Ohio State\u2019s Chance Gray with the No. 24 pick. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 14.7 points and shot 40.5% from 3-point range as a senior.<\/p>\n

The Sparks selected Kentucky\u2019s Amelia Hassett with the No. 35 pick. The 6-foot-4 forward averaged 10.5 points and shot 36.1% from behind the arc as a senior.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking forward to adding Amelia (Hassett) and Chance Gray as well,\u201d Pebley continued.<\/p>\n

The Sparks did not have a first-round pick in this year\u2019s draft after trading the rights to their 2026 first-round pick to Seattle in 2024 for the No. 4 pick that became forward Rickea Jackson.<\/p>\n

Jackson, who played two seasons for the Sparks, was traded to the Chicago Sky for veteran guard Ariel Atkins on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The Dallas Wings, who had the No. 1 pick for the second consecutive year, selected Azzi Fudd to play alongside her former college teammate Paige Bueckers. Dallas is led by former Sparks head coach Curt Miller, who is currently the team\u2019s general manager.<\/p>\n

The Minnesota Lynx selected TCU guard Olivia Miles with the No. 2 pick.<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s Awa Fam Thiam was selected No. 3 overall, with the aforementioned former Sparks pick that turned into a 2026 lottery pick after the Sparks missed the playoffs for a franchise record fifth season.<\/p>\n

Sparks re-sign Rae Burrell<\/h4>\n

The Sparks also announced the re-signing of Rae Burrell on Monday. The team\u2019s first-round pick in the 2022 draft, the versatile 6-2 guard\/forward averaged 7.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cRae is a modern, versatile wing who has the ability to impact the game on both ends,\u201d Pebley said. \u201cHer energy, enthusiasm and positivity impact our team every day, and her commitment to her development, along with the consistency she brings to her work, make her an important part of our future in Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old is entering her fifth season and is expected to be part of a veteran-led rotation that includes Nneka Ogwumike, Dearica Hamby, Erica Wheeler, Plum and Atkins.<\/p>\n

Burrell and Cameron Brink, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 draft, will provide an infusion of youthful experience for Roberts in her second season in the WNBA.<\/p>\n

Read more PFL returns to San Diego in June with A.J. McKee vs. Salamat Isbulaev<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sparks did not have a first-round pick but selected Latson at No. 20, a guard who they projected to go higher. They picked Ohio State guard Chance Gray at No. 24 overall and Kentucky forward Amelia Hassett at No. 35.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":983,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-verified-news"],"yoast_head":"\nWNBA draft: Sparks add South Carolina\u2019s Ta\u2019Niya Latson among 3 picks - Silicon Valley Moving Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/siliconvalleymovingpost.com\/?p=1378\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WNBA draft: Sparks add South Carolina\u2019s Ta\u2019Niya Latson among 3 picks - Silicon Valley Moving Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Sparks did not have a first-round pick but selected Latson at No. 20, a guard who they projected to go higher. 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