USC wraps up Colonial Life Arena season. Was it last home game for Raven Johnson?
Raven Johnson played in her 49th game at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday during South Carolina’s 64-53 win over Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks are done playing in Columbia for the remainder of the season. With the win over the Hoosiers, South Carolina advanced to the Sweet 16 in Birmingham, Alabama. If USC continues to advance, it will play in the Final Four in Tampa, Florida.
All that being said, will Sunday be Johnson’s last time playing at Colonial Life Arena? The jury is still out.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I will know after, in the name of Jesus, (knocks on wood) we win a national championship.”
Johnson is technically a redshirt junior since she missed all but two games of her freshman year with an injury. She could decide to enter the WNBA Draft after the season concludes, but she could also come back to USC for another year.
Johnson, a member of the 2021 recruiting class, was among those honored in South Carolina’s Senior Day festivities prior to its regular-season finale against Kentucky earlier this month. After the game she said she hadn’t made a decision on her future, and Dawn Staley stressed it’s Johnson’s decision alone to make.
“You never know,” Johnson said at the time. “We’ll have to wait and see.”
On Sunday, Johnson said several things will go into the decision to come back or not.
“My family, my career and just what I want to do,” she said. “Not just with basketball, but with school too.”
Sunday was last time Sania Feagin, Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao will ever play in Colonial Life Arena. Going into the game, Adhel Tac said the team wanted to make that group’s last game in CLA memorable for the seniors — whether it included Johnson or not.
“That’s her decision and whenever she feels like she’s ready to announce what she wants to do, then we’re going to support her whether she decides to stay or she wants to leave,” Tac said. “We’d love to have her back, obviously. Even in Raven’s case, and all the other seniors, we only focus on one game at a time. But we spoke on it like, let’s let them have their last game at CLA be a good one ... even if it is just a possibility in Raven’s case.”
Forward Sakima Walker is in a similar boat as Johnson.
Walker could play next year after the NCAA granted a blanket waiver for former JUCO players who are out of eligibility following this year to be eligible in the 2025-26 school year.
Walker started her career at Rutgers in 2020-21 and was there for two seasons before transferring to a junior college for the 2022-23 season. Walker transferred to South Carolina last season, making this her fifth year of college basketball.
Like Johnson, Walker told The State she’s unsure if she’s played her last game in Colonial Life Arena.
“Not even at all,” Walker said when asked if she’s come close to a decision on her future.
“I’m really not worried about it right now,” Walker continued. “I know I have the opportunity to come back if I want to. So it’s always there.”
Staley said earlier this month that both Johnson and Walker would be welcomed back to the program with open arms if that’s the route they take and their teammates feel the same.
“I want them to make the best decision for them. But of course, I want them back,” Maddy McDaniel said.
This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 7:30 AM.
