Raven Johnson just continues to silence doubts Gamecocks fans are tired of hearing

Raven Johnson’s college career is almost over and she is doing everything in her power to make sure that WNBA teams notice her. There were reasons to doubt Johnson’s WNBA potential—mainly her scoring—but she is handily alleviating those doubts this season. Her strong performance against LSU sent a clear message to teams at the next level and everyone who is still doubting her: Johnson’s scoring has caught up to her defense and playmaking, and passing on her in the draft could be a painful mistake. 

Johnson has been proving all season long that she is a better scorer than people think. A season-high scoring output against LSU really drove that point home. Johnson finished the game with 19 points on 3-5 shooting from three and 8-10 shooting from the free-throw line, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block in 36 minutes. She was South Carolina’s second-leading scorer behind Tessa Johnson and left her fingerprints all over the game. 

LSU isn’t just one of the best teams in the country, it also has a great guard rotation. Between Mikaylah Williams, Flau’jae Johnson, Jada Richard, and MiLaysia Fulwiley, Kim Mulkey has all the scoring, playmaking, and defense a coach could want from a guard rotation. So, having the game Johnson did against LSU’s star-studded guard lineup makes it even more impressive. 

Raven Johnson delivers in big games

Johnson is a winner—and not just because she plays for a great South Carolina program. She steps up in big games. The Gamecocks have faced eight ranked opponents so far this season. They won seven of those games. The loss to Texas in November was Johnson’s only “bad” game against a ranked opponent. She recorded 7 points, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. 

She scored at least ten points against every other ranked opponent and got her points efficiently. The only time she shot below 44% from the field was in South Carolina’s 68-65 win over Texas in January. Johnson also dished out at least four assists against every ranked opponent. 

If she can play well against the best players in college basketball, there is no reason to believe that she can’t find success at the pro level. Johnson may never be a big-time star guard in the WNBA, like Caitlin Clark or Paige Bueckers, but she can be a good role player who impacts winning. Tough on-ball defenders who can run an offense effectively and hit a few shots are always needed in the WNBA.