In 2024, Caitlin Clark fever gripped the nation, with her Iowa Hawkeyes on the cusp of winning the national title, and the only thing stopping them was the South Carolina Gamecocks, which Clark had helped stop the previous year. However, the Cinderella story of Clark and Iowa winning the national title never happened, and it was all thanks to Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks. The standout was Raven Johnson, who helped contain Clark.
Raven Johnson appeared in “The Coop” podcast to talk about her run with South Carolina, including helping the Gamecocks win the title in 2024. Johnson was instrumental in that final game as it was her who guarded the person considered to be the best guard in 2024, Clark.
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“I remember when the game first started, I mean, she was hot! I think she had 14 or 18 points,” she explained. “Oh I was so mad coz there was no way I’m going out with another loss, like there’s no way, so I remember goin to coach or one of the coaches, and I was like, ‘put me on her, het me guard her,’ or whatever.”
“I was like, I’m ready for this, like, even in film, when I heard I wasn’t guarding her, I was a little upset, like this was the moment I was waiting for, well, like I was waiting all this time just to see this matchup, so in the game, when I started guarding her, I was ready, like there’s no nerves, there was no scariness, I was ready.”
The Gamecocks defeated Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes, 87-75, surviving an early blitz from Clark and then clamping down on her with some tight defense down the stretch. Johnson just had three points, three assists and five rebounds that day, but her defense on Clark down the stretch was what helped hand Dawn Staley her third national title.
Dawn Staley and South Carolina’s Face-Off Vs. Former Star MiLaysia Fulwiley is Already Scheduled
Meanwhile, Dawn Staley and South Carolina are gearing up for the upcoming 2025-2026 season, with an eye on the national title. However, they also have some business to look forward to in February, as they will finally take on former Gamecock MiLaysia Fulwiley and the LSU Tigers.
Fulwiley’s transfer shocked many, especially as she was seen as one of the best players in South Carolina, being their sixth woman and go-to outside threat. However, she transferred to Kim Mulkey’s LSU, with a lot of fans unhappy with her perceived “betrayal.”
The showdown is scheduled to happen on Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, in Baton Rouge. This promises to be a big game between two SEC giants with legendary coaches, with some personal storylines surrounding Fulwiley.
Related: ‘An Anomaly’ – Dawn Staley Calls Caitlin Clark the Toughest Player She’s Coached Against
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