FSU women's hoops notes from ACC Tipoff event

[Bob Ferrante]

Brooke Wyckoff wants Ta'Niya Latson to improve her perimeter defense. “She wants to do more on the defensive end and we need her to. She’s ready to.”

Latson has grown every year as a leader. There hasn’t been a day when she’s let up in practice. “She’s going to be our best practice player. … That shows me a lot.”

 

[Bob Ferrante]

Wyckoff on her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment in the fall of 2023 – “I feel fantastic. … A year can make a lot of a difference.”

 

[Bob Ferrante]

When asked for a player who has made a jump in the offseason:

Carla Viegas "she's a shooter" but has worked to pick up defense and physicality of the sport

Amaya Bonner will also be ready to make a bigger impact

 

[Bob Ferrante]

Wyckoff is asked about metrics that track a player's output / workload. She says the team practices hard every day, that she doesn't have to get on them about the intensity.

 

[Bob Ferrante]

Wyckoff says she wants Latson to direct more and more, both when she has the ball and when she doesn't.

Said she comments to Latson that she wants her on the coaching staff one day.

(I think Latson will have a heck of a WNBA career but a fun anecdote.)

 

[Bob Ferrante]

Wyckoff challenged Timpson to dominate in practice. She's "efficient as all get out" around the rim. Brooke has pushed Makayla to be a scorer from long range, too

 

[Bob Ferrante]

Wyckoff:

"We have an experienced core back. We have eight returning players that were impact players last year, and we added four new pieces who are also experienced players.

"So for us we're going for it all, and we're working that way and practicing each and every day and have changed some things to make sure year pushing ourselves forward and ready to go deep in the tournament."

 

[Bob Ferrante]

I'm going to ask you to talk about Makayla now. You know she's undersized most nights. What are you saying to her, and what are you seeing from her night in and night out?

Latson: Just to be a dog. Be the person that she is, the player that she is. She's obviously dominant in her position no matter the size. She can compete with the best in the post, and she's versatile. She can shoot. She can go out there on the perimeter and make stuff happen. Yeah, I just try to instill confidence in her and just let her know she's the best on the floor regardless of her size.

 

[Bob Ferrante]

What is it about Coach Wyckoff that makes her so successful in terms of her leadership?

MAKAYLA TIMPSON: I would say she just cares about us outside of basketball. That's the main thing that I have been grateful for. It's just so amazing that she cares about me as a person instead of basketball.

You know, head coaches can't get caught up in basketball, basketball, basketball, but she cares about us, our personality and our family. There are so many things that comes with her that I'm grateful for.

O'MARIAH GORDON: Yeah, just her personality, just being so outgoing and caring so much more about us and just people outside of herself. Despite of everything she's gone through, you could never tell because she never blinked an eye, and she never changed.

TA'NIYA LATSON: I would say that's one of the biggest things for me, and she holds us to a high standard. I feel like that helps with our success.

We know what we have to do each and every night. She holds us accountable be. She cares about us as people too.

 

[Bob Ferrante]