SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) 鈥� Raven Johnson has been a mainstay during her five years at South Carolina and she’s seen it all.
The Gamecocks’ leader has been part of two national championships for Dawn Staley in 2022 and 2024, although she missed most of the first one as she tore her ACL two games into the season.
Now, she has helped the Gamecocks reach their sixth consecutive national semifinals 鈥� and seventh in nine years 鈥� by earning the Most Outstanding Player of the Sacramento 4 Regional after a in the Elite Eight on Monday night.
鈥淭here was a core group, they鈥檝e all gone to the WNBA, which leaves Raven left to just play how she鈥檚 playing this year,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. 鈥淪coring when we鈥檝e needed it, facilitating when it鈥檚 needed. She did some things on the way in this journey of the NCAA Tournament.鈥�
Staley recalled earlier when sophomore Joyce Edwards was complaining about the rims in practice, Johnson went over to her and said 鈥渨e only want positive thoughts.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e been here, what, four, five 鈥� five times now. I think experience does matter,鈥� Johnson said after the Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma. 鈥淎nd I think using my voice goes a long way. They listen.鈥�
The veteran coach said Johnson didn’t know she was listening and saw the entire exchange.
鈥�(Raven) is a winner and now people are seeing the type of player she is and she was capable of being,鈥� Staley said.
Johnson is one of the best defensive players in the country, constantly guarding the opponents best player. In the two games in Sacramento, she averaged 14 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
鈥淩aven鈥檚 been through a lot. She鈥檚 standing strong today and she鈥檚 performing at a high level, which we all know she was capable of playing at this level,” Staley said. 鈥淏ut she sacrificed a lot of her beginnings and actually some of her end of her South Carolina career by just being a giver, by just being a winner and making winning plays.鈥�
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