![\"South](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/usc-0221.jpg\" "\\"South")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
South Carolina’s Raven Johnson speaks during a press conference at Mortgage Matchup Center in advance of the Final Four matchup between South Carolina and UConn in Phoenix on Thursday, April 2, 2026.<\/p>\n
Tracy Glantz<\/p>\n
tglantz@thestate.com<\/p>\n
Raven Johnson has at least one game left in a South Carolina uniform.<\/p>\n
The No. 1 seed Gamecocks will play No. 1 overall seed UConn in the 2026 Final Four on Friday. A win would send South Carolina to the national championship for the third year in a row.<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s career with the Gamecocks will end this weekend in Phoenix. Whether it\u2019s with another championship or in a disappointing loss remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
What is certain, though, is that Johnson\u2019s playing days are far from over.<\/p>\n
The 2026 WNBA Draft<\/a> is just around the corner and set to take place in New York on April 13. Last year, Johnson wasn\u2019t a top name in the draft. But after a career-best senior season, Johnson could be a first-round draft pick in 2026.<\/p>\n \u201cShe knew last year, people counted her out, [saying] she\u2019s not gonna get drafted,\u201d said Johnson\u2019s teammate Maryam Dauda. \u201cShe took that personally, and she spent a lot of time this summer working on her game. \u2026 It\u2019s been showing throughout the season.\u201d<\/p>\n A few ESPN women\u2019s basketball analysts believe Johnson has done nothing but improve her draft stock during the 2025-26 season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s huge,\u201d ESPN\u2019s Andraya Carter said<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve talked to a lot of GMs, I think of one that I was on the phone with last week, and this particular GM was like, \u2018Man, I love Raven.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, yeah, how do you not love Raven?\u201d Carter said. \u201cShe\u2019s a winner. Like, she\u2019s a winner.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson is projected to be a first-round draft pick in recent mock drafts from Yahoo Sports<\/a>, The Sporting News<\/a> and Tankathon<\/a>. More in-depth mock drafts will likely be released in the days following the WNBA\u2019s expansion draft (April 3)<\/a> and draft declaration deadline for eligible players still participating in March Madness (48 hours after the player\u2019s team is eliminated). For example, ESPN hasn\u2019t updated its mock draft, in which Johnson wasn\u2019t listed, since February<\/a>.<\/p>\n All three mock drafts from Yahoo Sports, The Sporting News and Tankathon project Johnson to be selected by the Golden State Valkyries with the No. 8 overall pick.<\/p>\n Carter praised Johnson for her offensive improvement this year. Johnson has enjoyed somewhat of an offensive renaissance this year, averaging career-high numbers<\/a> across the board. The point guard is scoring 10.2 points per game and shooting at a 50% clip from the field and making 41.4% of her 3-pointers.<\/p>\n Johnson also tallied career-highs in effective field goal percentage (56.7%), true shooting percentage (58.8%), assists (5.3 per game) and offensive win shares (4.8).<\/p>\n \u201cSo there are a lot of things that I feel like coaches and GMs have seen this year from Raven,\u201d Carter said. \u201c\u2026 She was already checking a lot of boxes, but I think checking them in a bigger, stronger way for sure. I\u2019ve talked to a few GMs and there\u2019s really not anything that they\u2019re not impressed with about Raven.\u201d<\/p>\n ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike<\/a> recalled a moment from Johnson in February when \u201cCollege GameDay\u201d was in Columbia that was a small piece of a season that has \u201cthoroughly impressed\u201d her.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s probably 7:30, 8 p.m. and in comes Raven \u2026 just in sweats, to come and shoot,\u201d Ogwumike said. \u201cThat told me everything I need to know. That told me why she\u2019s playing her best basketball right now, because she does the things that most people don\u2019t, and she\u2019s walked through a fire that most people can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n While much has been made of Johnson\u2019s offensive improvement, her continued dominance of defense will be another reason she\u2019ll get first-round looks in the WNBA Draft.<\/p>\n![\"South](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/wbb3-9463.jpg\" "\\"wbb3-9463.jpg\\"")
South Carolina’s Raven Johnson (25) celebrates the Gamecocks Elite Eight win over TCU on Monday, March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, Calif. The University of South Carolina advances to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Tracy Glantz tglantz@thestate.com <\/p>\n