Need a bucket? Get South Carolina WBB’s Tessa Johnson open in the corner
When Tessa Johnson pulls up for a 3-pointer, there’s a pretty solid chance it’s going in.
The sophomore guard is a career 42.8% shooter from beyond the arc. This year alone she leads the Gamecocks with a 42.4% 3-point percentage.
But what about when Johnson puts up a 3-point shot from the corner specifically? Just ask her teammates what they expect:
“Cash. Green. Everytime,” Te-Hina Paopao said.
“It’s green. I already know it’s going in,” Sania Feagin said.
“Money. ... Let me get up and figure out what celebration I’m gonna do,” Adhel Tac said.
The confidence Johnson’s teammates have in her ability to drill a 3-pointer from the corner is extremely warranted.
Johnson’s field-goal percentage on corner 3s this season is 43.6% (17 for 39), according to CBB Analytics.
As a whole, Division I players’ field-goal percentage on corner threes is 32.8% this season, meaning Johnson’s clip from the corner is 10.8% above the D-I average. Johnson has attempted 204 field goals this season, 99 of those have been from 3. Of those 3-point attempts, 19.1% of them come from the corner. That’s 11.3% above D-I average.
Johnson was 3 for 4 from 3-point range on Friday in South Carolina’s 108-48 win over Tennessee Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Of the three makes, two came from the corner and one came from the wing. The one 3-pointer she missed came from a shot near the top of the key.
If you ask Johnson where her favorite spot on the floor to shoot from is she’ll tell you she doesn’t have one. But if you bring up that statistically speaking there may be a spot she favors she’ll catch on.
“Is it the corner?” she said through a laugh.
The flow of South Carolina’s offense typically takes Johnson to the corner, but her comfort level from there is another reason why she takes the shot often.
“We’re shooters and stuff, so we’re told to run to the corner in the beginning and space the floor out if it’s in transition,” Johnson said. “Then kind of our offense, sometimes I end up there. A little bit of both.”
During her freshman season last year Johnson’s field-goal percentage on corner 3s was 51.7% (15 for 29), according to CBB Analytics.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Johnson’s field-goal percentage from the corner last season was 19.3% higher than the D-I average (32.4%). She attempted 170 field goals last season, 81 of which came from 3-point land. Of those 3-point attempts, 17.1% were from the corner. That was 9.5% above the D-I average.
This year, Johnson’s overall clip of 42.4% from beyond the arc would rank No. 19 in the country if she met the minimum requirements (average of two makes a game, Johnson averages 1.3).
“Tessa could probably shoot from anywhere,” Dawn Staley said. “When you’re a shooter like Tessa, you don’t really have a favorite spot. I think she likes the wing as well. She’s pretty good at it. I just need her to keep hitting them.””
What makes Johnson such a good 3-point shooter? Her mechanics, teammate Bree Hall said.
“But not only are her mechanics great, I would definitely say her arc on the ball is spectacular,” Hall said. “So it gives it a high percentage shot of actually going in.”
The stats may tell Gamecock fans that Johnson has a knack for making corner 3s, but she’ll be the first to tell you it simply doesn’t matter from where she shoots.
“I’m comfortable anywhere beyond the arc,” Johnson said.
This story was originally published March 22, 2025 at 3:49 PM.
