Florida State women’s basketball continued to scrape by without its injured star player, Ta’Niya Latson. O’Mariah Gordon’s injury surfaced on Thursday, as she was also unavailable.
Down two marquee players, the Seminoles still managed to get through a 69-55 victory over Pittsburgh at the Donald L. Tucker Center. But where does FSU (21-6, 11-4 ACC) go from here?
After the game, head coach Brooke Wyckoff confirmed that Latson and Gordon remain on injury protocol. With three crucial games left in the regular season, there is no timetable for their return.
“I don’t know. They are day-to-day. I can’t tell you,” Wyckoff said in her postgame conference. “They are day-to-day, but we’re hopeful.”
FSU women’s basketball missing two top players
Latson missed her second straight game for an undisclosed injury. For Gordon, it’s her first. Both players are having a career year as the Seminoles pursue a strong post-season run.
Latson, the nation’s top scorer, averages 26.2 points per game and is in contention for National of the Year honors from multiple organizations.
Gordon is on pace for an All-ACC season as she averages a career-best 16 points a game and is ranked No. 6 with a 3.13 assist-turnover ratio (97 assists, 31 turnovers).
The last time she took the field, the 5-foot-4 guard dropped 34 points in a road win over Miami last Sunday.
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FSU basketball is focused on the moment in a 3-game gauntlet
With FSU facing a gauntlet against Top-25 ACC teams in its three-game stretch, it cannot afford any serious injuries.
Senior forward Makayla Timpson, who is coming off a 20-point performance against Pitt, is aware of what is at stake for the Seminoles but only focuses on controlling what’s in front of them.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” Timpson said. “We know what’s ahead of us, but we just got to be in the moment. Just prepare for tomorrow. That’s all I can say.”
All three of FSU’s final games will be against ranked opponents. Two of them are on the road, beginning Sunday against Georgia Tech at 4 p.m. at the McCamish Pavilion.
Then, the Seminoles will head to South Bend to take on Top-ranked Notre Dame (24-2, 15-0). They will finish the regular season by hosting No. 11 Duke (20-7, 11-4) the following Sunday at 6 p.m.
All three games could decide where FSU stands in the ACC and NCAA Tournament seedings. After the win over Pitt, FSU is tied with Duke with an 11-4 record following its loss to Louisville.
FSU will clinch a first-round by the league tournament if the Seminoles are in the fifth or sixth seed of the bracket.
According to the latest ESPN bracketology, FSU is projected to be the No. 7 seed, putting it in the Region 3 Birmingham and the Storrs (CT) bracket, where it will face No.10 Indiana.
More: Makayla Timpson, FSU basketball step up in place of Ta’Niya Latson, O’Mariah Gordon in win over Pitt
How to watch FSU basketball vs. Georgia Tech
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Date: Sunday, Feb. 23
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Time: 4 p.m.
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Where: McCamish Pavilion
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TV: The CW Network
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Radio: Seminole .com
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Peter Holland Jr. covers Florida State athletics for Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at PHolland@Gannett.com or on X @_Da_pistol.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FSU basketball injury update: Ta’Niya Latson, O’Mariah Gordon are out
