The Oklahoma Sooners gave their 110% on the floor, looking to topple the top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks in the Sweet Sixteen matchup. But the offensively sharp South Carolin team relied on its back-court duo, Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson, to deliver a win for former champions.
Johnson’s recent scoring surge silences doubt around WNBA leap, and she once again showed her hot hand at Golden 1 Center. Coach Dawn Staley even attended the game wearing a ‘Hollywood Raven’ t-shirt, showing her trust in the senior guard. But one outstanding praise she received was from WNBA megastar A’ja Wilson.
A’ja Wilson Praises Raven Johnson
While talking about the 22-year-old star coach, Staley highlighted her hilarious story, saying “Aflac!” during the commercial break. But on the floor, she is dead serious, and her game showed every night. The Aces’ star pointed out her resilience and strong comebacks.
Wilson said, “We’re talking about somebody that can count on her hand how many times she’s lost — that doesn’t get talked about enough for me. … I’m so proud of her. To see her like weather storms like when people would talk about her, she is showing up the next season, like heard you. That type of stuff is what really amazes me about Ray.”
I asked A'ja Wilson what's impressed her most about Raven Johnson's career at South Carolina
— Sean Hurd (@seanahurd) March 28, 2026
"We're talking about somebody that can count on her hand how many times she's lost — that doesn't get talked about enough for me. … I'm so proud of her."
Full answer from A'ja ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/dDFDdHi1H2
She even called the 2026 draft prospect her little sister and is proud of her, asking her never to change. The player is among the Top 10 WNBA 2026 Draft Picks in the recent mock draft and will look to make an impact in the league in front of her ‘senior’.
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The WNBA superstar was already tracking her college’s future star and remained on good terms with her. The 22-year-old even took the help of Wilson for a special purpose, showing their good bond.
The A’ja Wilson-Raven Johnson Connection Goes Way Back
The Westlake High School girls basketball team got a late Christmas gift from one of its best alums last week. With a little help from her mother and Gamecock great A’ja Wilson, the prolific guard gifted her entire former high school team in Georgia with Wilson’s signature Nike sneaker: the A’One.
“We’ve never had anyone do anything like that as part of the alumni at Westlake High School,” long-time Westlake head coach Hilda Hankerson told the media.
Raven’s mother approached the coach and put forward the proposal, which shocked the coach, who also got one pair from the star player. Raven shared the news on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter, as she wrote, “What better way to give back to my high school alma mater than gifting them the A’Ones! Huge thanks to (A’ja Wilson) for helping me do something meaningful for them … Westlake, Westlake, Westlake!!!!”
What better way to give back to my high school alma mater than gifting them the A’Ones! Huge thanks to @_ajawilson22 for helping me do something meaningful for them. @GirlsWestlake
— R A V E N (@HollywoodRaven) January 10, 2026
Westlake, Westlake, Westlake!!!! pic.twitter.com/SYf3Ff038E
Interestingly, the gift was for the girls’ team only, which made the boys’ side search for their boxes, adding more joy for the girls’ team.