Raven Johnson has led South Carolina since coach Dawn Staley made her the starting point guard for the 2023-24 season. The move paid off, as the Gamecocks claimed a perfect season and a national championship in 2024.

Johnson is off to a good start, averaging career-high numbers of 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and six assists per game, all contributing to South Carolina’s 4-0 start. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley is pleased with the 5’9″ playmaker’s performance and has highly endorsed the guard as a first-rounder in the 2026 WNBA draft.

Dawn Staley Speaks Highly of Senior Guard Raven Johnson’s On-Court Contributions

After South Carolina’s 69-52 win over the USC Trojans, Staley addressed the media. She took a question about Raven Johnson. The three-time champion coach confronted Johnson’s detractors. She called the analysts’ comments disheartening and said they demonstrated a lack of understanding of the Atlanta native’s game.

Staley took note that the point guard is a proven winner, losing only 11 games since high school, but she emphasized that Johnson sacrifices her scoring chances to make the right plays for the team. She said Johnson’s all-around abilities were instrumental to South Carolina’s continued dominance in the SEC and in the nation.

Aside from her point guard skills, Johnson’s excellence on defense is also one of her best traits. Notably, her shadowing of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark in the national championship was decisive for South Carolina, as she held off the Hawkeyes and completed the perfect season in 2024.

“You hear so many people talk about like break her game down and minimize what she what she brings to the table. It’s disheartening. It’s ignorant because you if you really don’t know what she’s bringing to the table…We’re going to miss her presence but when you think about a winner, when you think about a a constant point guard, Raven is that,” Staley said.

“And if WNBA teams want to be like us, meaning the amount of success that we’ve had with her in the lineup, they’re going to take Raven. They’re going to take Raven in the first round.”

Despite her small frame, Johnson played big for the Gamecocks. In 38 minutes, she posted 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks, making her one of South Carolina’s top contributors in their 17-point win over No. 8 USC.

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Building on Johnson’s standout effort, WNBA Draft analyst Hunter Cruse highlighted her double-double plus two blocks against the Trojans as the first by a player under 6’0″ during the Dawn Staley era.

Johnson will resume her quest for another national title on Wednesday when South Carolina faces Winthrop. The Gamecocks will aim to keep their unbeaten slate intact as they prepare for the Players’ Era Festival mini-tournament on Nov. 26-27 at Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada.