How a Kim Mulkey comment turned into a viral T-shirt for South Carolina WBB
Tessa Johnson didn’t know an old baby picture could create this much of a stir.
But a picture of the South Carolina guard’s face plastered on a T-shirt with the phrase “Who can guard Tessa?” on it has been quite the popular item for players and fans to talk about during USC’s latest NCAA Tournament run.
The T-shirt made its debut Monday as South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts, who is out for the season with a torn ACL, wore the T-shirt on the bench for the Gamecocks’ second round win vs. Southern Cal at Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks defeated the Trojans, 101-61, to advance to the Sweet 16.
Johnson and her teammates were asked about the shirt during Friday’s news conference previewing South Carolina’s Sweet 16 matchup against Oklahoma on Saturday in Sacramento.
“She hates it, guys,” South Carolina guard Raven Johnson joked.
“She does,” teammate Joyce Edwards added.
Tessa Johnson, one of the team’s most popular players, laughed.
“I don’t hate it,” she said.
How the Tessa Johnson T-shirt came to be
But Johnson, who’s not much of a trash talker and has been hesitant to fully embrace her “Tournament Tessa” nickname, did seemed surprised at the amount of attention one comment earlier this season — and the ensuing T-shirt — have gotten.
Kitts said after Monday’s game that she stumbled on the T-shirt as she was opening her teammate’s mail one day. Earlier this year, a viral trend started where sports teams would ask their players to sign pictures and surprise them with baby pictures of themselves (often sourced through their parents).
Naturally, South Carolina got in on the trend. Johnson said her mom, Danielle, sent in a picture of a young Tessa and the idea for the shirt took off. The T-shirt currently sells for $43.99 on Athlete’s Thread, a USC-affiliated NIL fan shop.
“I think Tessa’s agent or someone sent her a few shirts and I opened the box — because I like opening packages, and she lets me open her packages — and I was like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna wear this.’ Kitts said. “I think there’s one more, so I’m gonna wear them throughout the tournament.”
This isn’t the first “Who can guard Tessa?” T-shirt made this season. Some were made featuring a picture of LSU coach Kim Mulkey after the Tigers coach first yelled the now-viral phrase to her team during the Feb. 14 matchup with the Gamecocks, as captured by the ESPN broadcast.
LSU struggled to contain the Gamecocks’ junior guard that night, and Johnson scored 21 points on 8-13 shooting in South Carolina’s 79-72 win at LSU.
USC players and coaches have been known to sport different T-shirts in support of one another this season. In the Jan. 15 game against Texas, Gamecocks assistant coaches wore T-shirts with a college picture of head coach Dawn Staley on it with the phrase, “My favorite coach is a woman.”
Staley and her coaches wore hoodies with the phrase “Boo” on them for the LSU game to poke fun at Tigers fans who were rough on her and her team during the 2024 game in Baton Rouge.
Johnson said Friday that she appreciates Kitts wearing her T-shirt.
“Our teammates bring confidence to everyone else,” Johnson said. “Yes, it’s Raven (Johnson), but it’s Joyce, too. It’s everyone. You can see it on the bench. You can see even the coaching staff, our staff in general. It’s like a family of culture.
“I feel like Chloe was wearing it to support me, and that just shows a little bit of support that we all bring to each other, if that makes sense.”
