Florida State women's basketball star Ta'Niya Latson wins 2022-23 Tamika Catchings Award
Florida State Women’s Basketball’s Ta’Niya Latson has won the 2022-23 Tamika Catchings Award as the U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s National Freshman Player of the Year, announced on Tuesday by the USBWA.
The USBWA has presented a women's National Freshman Player of the Year Award since the 1991-92 season. Two seasons ago, the award was named in honor of Tennessee legend Tamika Catchings, the USBWA's 1997-98 national freshman of the year and a three-time All-American. DePaul's Aneesah Morrow won the award last season.
Latson will receive the award at the USBWA College Basketball Awards Banquet in St. Louis on April 12, which is hosted by the Missouri Athletic Club.
Latson misses NCAA Tournament:FSU women's basketball will be without its top player for NCAA tournament
Rewriting history:FSU freshman guard Ta'Niya Latson nearly unstoppable this season
All-American:Ta'Niya Latson named All-American by Associated Press and USBWA
The Miami, Fla., native recorded one of the best freshman seasons in collegiate basketball history, averaging 21.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, shooting 45.5 percent overall and 36.2 percent from 3-point range. Latson became the first freshman ever to lead the ACC in scoring and set the single-season scoring average record by a freshman in the conference with 659 total points.
Latson also shot 85.9 percent (171-of-199) from the free throw line, the second-most free throws made in a season at FSU and the most since Carla Williams’ record-setting 189 made free throws in the 1995-96 season.
Latson and the Seminoles earned a No. 7 seed to their 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament and finished 12-6 in the ACC this season. Florida State’s 79.3 points per game this season is ranked 10th nationally.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected a women's All-America team since the 1996-97 season.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU women's basketball: Ta'Niya Latson wins Tamika Catchings Award
