South Carolina Gamecocks point guard Raven Johnson suffered an ACL tear in her left knee during the second game of her freshman year in 2021, which cut her season short.
Cut to the present, she has been named the Most Outstanding Player of the Sacramento Regional 4 after the Gamecocks’ 78-52 win over TCU in the Elite Eight on March 30.
However, the rehab process after the injury in November 2021 was tough. In a write-up for The Players’ Tribune, published on May 23, 2024, she opened up about her struggle.
“I had so many goals for my freshman year, I could not wait to get on the court,” Johnson wrote. “Instead of a breakout season, I tore my ACL. In my second game ever. That was my first real injury, too. I had to relearn how to bend my leg, how to walk again … I would not wish that level of pain on anyone. I got so depressed because I could not play. I was scared … I did not know what was going to happen to me.”
She also recalled losing her cool in front of her trainer.
“I remember screaming at my trainer, yelling, ‘I’M NEVER GOING TO WALK AGAIN,’ almost in tears,” Johnson added. “The recovery felt so slow. I could not be patient.”
However, Johnson saw that phase as a turning point in her life.
“I look back on that now and realize I’ve had a lot of moments in my life where I’ve had a decision to make: Do I tap out, or keep going?” she wrote. “A lot of people would have quit if they were in my shoes. Success is never easy. There’s going to be some bumps in the road…. And while the lows feel never-ending, I made it out stronger every time.”
South Carolina’s next game is the Final Four national semifinal against UConn on April 3. The winner will move forward to the National Championship game on April 5 against either UCLA or Texas.
Raven Johnson Once Doubled Down on “Champion” Identity After Injury
Raven Johnson, a redshirt senior, is one of the main figures on Dawn Staley’s roster. In 2022, South Carolina defeated UConn 64-49 to win the title. This was a bittersweet trophy for Johnson. She earned the ring but was not able to contribute on the court and had to watch from the sidelines as senior Destanni Henderson led the team to the trophy.
The 2024 title, an 87-75 win over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes, was a completely different story. Johnson was the starting point guard for a team that went a perfect 38-0. She was praised for her defensive masterclass, particularly her second-quarter lockdown of Caitlin Clark, which changed the game.
Her mindset was perhaps best captured in the May 23, 2024, essay for The Players’ Tribune.
“I have been challenged in every possible way, and instead of quitting, I let the hard times make good times,” Johnson wrote. “So yeah, you can call me Raven, Crockpot Johnson or ‘the girl who got waved off’ … I really don’t care anymore. Just don’t forget to call me a champion.”
As of April 2, she stands just two wins away from becoming a three-time national champion.
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