Last season, the South Carolina Gamecocks took on the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks were undefeated going into the game. The Hawkeyes pulled off the upset win and advanced to the national championship game.
The Viral Moment
The Hawkeyes winning the game was a shock since most people had the Gamecocks winning due to their dominance during the season leading up to that point. But the win was not the only thing that went viral.
In the first quarter, Raven Johnson (then a redshirt freshman) had the ball with a chance to take a wide-open three. Caitlin Clark was supposed to be defending her, but she left her open not to mention waved her off as if she was daring her to take the shot.
She looked to the other side while waving off Johnson, basically saying she was not relevant enough to guard her. It was just another sign of someone disrespecting their opponent.
And it was not the wave off itself that messed up Johnson’s confidence but the fact that it went viral on social media. The clip was everywhere. It was to the point where she considered quitting basketball altogether.
Motivation
Video: FOX Carolina News/YouTube
Whenever an athlete suffers an embarrassing moment on the court, it can mess up their confidence and potentially lead to them quitting. But that was not the case for Raven Johnson.
In the words of Michael Jordan “…and I took that personally.” Johnson decided use that moment as motivation to get better.
She worked on her three point shooting in practice and watched a ton of film on Cailtin Clark. She wanted to know and understand her moves so that if she ever got the chance to matchup with her again, she would be ready.
She also got help from one of her teammates at the time, Laeticia Amihere. “I don’t even know how she got in my room,” Johnson said. “I thought I locked the door. But she got me closer to God … She’s really the one that really helped me get over that hump.”
The Rematch
Video: I Am Grambling/ YouTube
Over a year, the rematch between South Carolina and Iowa came to fruition on April 7, 2024. This time, it was in the national championship game. There were questions about who the primary defender would be and if Dawn Staley would double-team Clark.
Staley gave Johnson the Caitlin Clark assignment. She trusted Johnson for the majority of the season, so it was not a surprise to see her get the assignment. Her stats may not always stand out on the box score, but her ability to impact the game in multiple other ways.
After scoring 18 points in the first quarter, Clark only scored 12 points the rest of the game. Johnson held Clark to just 7 points on 31% shooting. She also forced three turnovers, which turned into four South Carolina points.
Raven Johnson’s stellar defense on Clark was a huge factor in the Gamecocks winning the championship. Her defense allowed the Gamecocks to get back in the game after facing an early deficit, and it was only up from there.
Johnson got her rematch against Clark and did not disappoint. As she stated in the postgame conference “The Revenge Tour is over. And now it’s time for the Repeat Tour.”
