A ‘fearless’ Raven Johnson returns for USC, shines in first start in home opener
Raven Johnson received a loud ovation Monday as the first player announced in South Carolina’s starting lineup.
The redshirt freshman played in just two games last year before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. She returned to form in the women’s basketball team’s 101-31 win against East Tennessee State.
“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Johnson said. “I was very excited.”
Johnson was active on both ends of the court at Colonial Life Arena. She spent most of her minutes Monday pushing the ball in transition, finding open players and disrupting Buccaneer ball handlers on defense.
She totaled nine points, four assists and four steals in her first career start.
“Raven’s fearless,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “She’s a young point guard that has a great feel for the game.”
Johnson’s road back to the court was a challenging one, but the rest of the Gamecocks supported her throughout the journey.
Teammates often checked in on her during the recovery process.
“I had days where I was in my room depressed. I had days where I was crying,” Johnson said. “My teammates were there from Day One.”
Johnson was an accomplished high school player before arriving in Columbia.
She was named a McDonald’s All-American during her senior year in 2021. She attended Westlake High School in Atlanta and helped guide them to four state championship games.
Johnson also won the Miss Georgia Basketball award in 2020 and 2021.
When her number was called Monday, her teammates reminded her of those past experiences.
“Don’t be nervous,” she recalled them saying. “It’s another game, just play.”
Johnson played on a minutes restriction Monday, Staley said. The 17 minutes she played exceeded the nine she played last season. Staley added that Johnson didn’t reach the limit of time she could have played, but she saw enough from her.
Johnson found success running South Carolina’s offense against the Buccaneers with some nice passes between the defense. She sometimes used passes to lead players into specific spots on the floor.
Finding open players seemed natural for Johnson, and she ended with a team high in assists.
“She puts the ball where they should have it, instead of where they want it,” Staley said.
The point guard position looks a bit different for the Gamecocks (1-0) this year.
Destanni Henderson started there last year and averaged 3.9 assists per game. Saniya Rivers — who transferred after her freshman season — functioned as a backup point guard, and Laeticia Amihere served as the team’s ball handler in spots.
This year, Johnson and Kierra Fletcher — a graduate transfer from Georgia Tech — make up that rotation. Fletcher, who sustained a season-ending injury last year with the Yellow Jackets, played nine minutes in USC’s season opener.
USC’s roster is heavy with post players, so guard play will be crucial. Johnson’s return to the lineup and Fletcher’s role provide options for the Gamecocks moving forward.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Staley said. “We need to get them a few more game experiences, so this was a good tune-up for them.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
