"The revenge tour is over": South Carolina guard on winning national championship title defeating Caitlin Clark's Iowa
Raven Johnson recalled South Carolina’s loss last year and called the win against the Iowa Hawkeyes revenge.
The Gamecocks secured the NCAA women's national championship title on Sunday, defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75. The win marked a triumphant return for the Gamecocks after their defeat to Iowa in last year's Final Four.
Raven Johnson, South Carolina's point guard, emerged as a central figure in the team's redemption story. After the game, Johnson shared her thoughts in a post-game interview.
“All I have to say is: The revenge tour is over,” the sophomore point guard said.
A clip from last year's game showing Iowa's Caitlin Clark dismissing Johnson's shot went viral, leaving Johnson deeply discouraged. However, she channeled that disappointment, vowing to use this season as a platform for revenge.
Sunday’s game mirrored the team's season-long struggle. South Carolina fell behind by double digits (11 points) in the first half but clawed their way back to secure the win.
Coach Dawn Staley secured her third national title, tying her for the fourth most by any coach in the sport. The weight of how last season ended for Carolina was heavy, as shared by Coach Staley.
“I mean, it’s heavy, it’s heavy,” Staley said after the win. “You carry the burden of every single one of your players, all the coaches and staff members that put so much into our team. And it’s a heavy load to be undefeated, to finish the job,” Staley said.
Also read: “I don’t think my record has been broken": Lynette Woodard disapproves $3.2M NIL-valued Caitlin Clark's scoring record amid Iowa's March Madness run
South Carolina guard Raven Johnson's road to glory
Raven Johnson's journey to becoming a champion is paved with tears and countless hours in the gym. A viral clip from last year's Final Four loss to Iowa showed Iowa's Caitlin Clark dismissing Johnson's shot, leaving Johnson deeply humiliated.
Johnson retreated to her room, replaying the loss over and over again, questioning her abilities and contemplating quitting basketball altogether.
“More than 100 times probably,” Johnson said Saturday.
But with the support of her coaches and teammates, Johnson found the strength to persevere. She transformed her despair into determination, dedicating herself to improving her game.
“Caitlin's competitive, so I don't blame her for what she did. But it did hurt me,” Johnson said.
Johnson also showed gratitude towards the resources that she had, along with her teammates and her coach. She mentioned that overcoming that made her mentally strong, so much so, that she can handle anything else.
“I'm just glad I had the resources that I had, the coaches that I had, the teammates that I had, to help me get over that hump. And I just feel like it helped me. It made me mentally strong. I feel like if I can handle that, I can handle anything in life,” Johnson added.
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Read more: WATCH: $3.3M NIL-valued Caitlin Clark once “disrespected” South Carolina star Raven Johnson in last year’s Final Four showdown