Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks dispatched the Oklahoma Sooners with ease in the Sweet 16 round of the Big Dance this Saturday night in Sacramento, California. The Columbia team ended the game with a 26-point win, 94-68, demonstrating the superiority of the SEC champions.
During the game, the South Carolina coach could be seen with a special maroon-colored jacket and a t-shirt dedicated to one of her favorite players: Senior Raven Johnson. Staley has repeatedly said this season that Johnson is the soul of the team, and she makes her job extremely easy with her on-court performances and leadership off the court.
She is, except for Chloe Kitts, who couldn’t participate in the current season due to a preseason injury, the last member of a core group of players that allowed Staley to bring two national titles to Columbia, South Carolina.
Raven is the only player left who was a member of the roster for both the 2022 and 2024 national championship wins. Kitts came later in 2022-23 and was only a member of the latter victory.
Dawn Staley Sings Raven Johnson’s Praises in the Sweet 16’s Aftermath
In the aftermath of the game, Dawn Staley spoke with the press and praised Raven Johnson for her ability to lead South Carolina. She had nothing but kind words for the senior.
“I mean, I’m super happy for Raven. Raven’s been through a lot. She’s standing strong today, and she’s performing at a high level, which we all know she was capable of playing at this level. But she sacrificed a lot of her beginnings and actually some of the end of her South Carolina career by just being a giver, by just being a winner and making winning plays,” Staley said.
“Fortunately for us, we need her to score. We really do need her as part of taking really good shots. I think the game has slowed down for her enough to where she knows where she needs to implant herself in scoring the basketball for us,” she continued.
“So I’m just happy she played efficiently. She’s leading, I mean, she’s leading beyond the game. She’s leading in shoot-around. She’s leading at the hotel because she wants to win. And she wants everybody to all be on the same page and have that winning attitude,” Staley concluded.
With 18 points, Raven was the team’s second-best scorer behind Ta’Niya Latson, who scored 28 points. She also had two rebounds, three assists, and one steal during the encounter against Oklahoma.
Also Read:
Lauren Betts Enjoys Carefree Run in Bikini With UCLA Bruins Squad Ahead of Clash vs. Golden Gophers
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in College Football, Men’s College Basketball, Women’s College Basketball, and College Baseball!
