The South Carolina Gamecocks are sitting pretty with an overall record of 16-1 so far this season, with three wins and no losses in Conference play matchups. Their last three wins have come in the absence of senior guard Ta’Niya Latson, who is nursing a sprained ankle but was seen warming up during the shootaround before the game against Arkansas.

As USC gears up to host Georgia before a series of seeded games, Head Coach Dawn Staley revealed more details about Ta’Niya Latson’s recovery as well as the prospect of seeing fresh recruit Alicia Tournebize debut for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

“We’re going to see how she feels tomorrow,” shared Staley when asked about Ta’Niya’s chances of taking the court against Georgia.

“I think we have the best medical team that will put her in a great possible situation where she can see progress every day. I think she’s over just the everyday pain every time she steps. She’s out on the court, so I know she feels so much better,” she added when asked about the mental aspect behind the recovery process.

Ta’Niya Latson has been a key figure for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

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The senior guard has played close to 30 minutes every game, largely due to the lack of depth on the South Carolina roster. There is no rush to bring Ta’Niya Latson back for the Georgia game. But with the match against Texas on the horizon, the 22-year-old could do with some game time to be ready to face the yet undefeated Longhorns.

While Dawn Staley chose to shy away from revealing anything about Alicia Tournebize’s chances of a debut against Georgia, her stance has always been the same.

The South Carolina Gamecocks Head Coach doesn’t want to rush Alicia into the game and is letting the 18-year-old understand the requirements of playing under her and at USC in training.

Staley, though, could use Alicia, who will largely be an unknown for other teams, against the upcoming seeded opponents. Hence, a debut at home to Georgia could be the best option unless she is okay with the idea of giving her an away debut, with a match against the unseeded Coppin State Eagles sandwiched in between the seeded games.

Alicia Tournebize will add some much-needed depth to the USC roster

Star players playing close to 30 minutes every game in Women’s College Basketball is nothing new. However, Head Coach Dawn Staley is having to do so out of necessity. With only 10 players on the roster, injury and fitness issues, along with an underperforming bench, have forced the South Carolina Gamecocks to give their starters more minutes than they would prefer.

And the stress is starting to show, with Ta’Niya Latson spraining her ankle and missing 3 games so far.

The bench has not performed well enough to be relied upon, especially the forwards Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda. Staley cannot afford an injury to lead scorer Joyce Edwards at this stage, which makes rotation among the forwards even more necessary.

French recruit Alicia Tournebize could help Staley reduce the pressure on Joyce. The 6 ft. 7 freshman has some professional experience under her belt already and is cleared to make her debut. The 18-year-old can dunk and shoot from far out, making her an overall attacking threat.

While Staley likes to ease players in, Alicia’s prior professional experience in France and the current lack of depth at USC could see her give the 18-year-old forward a debut against Georgia. The potential return of Ta’Niya Latson and the addition of Alicia Tournebize to the rotation could prove to be dangerous for the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, and Vanderbilt as the Southeastern Conference matchups intensify.