The South Carolina Gamecocks are off to a great start, having won their recent game against the USC Trojans to improve their record to 4-0. With Aliyah Boston supporting her former team, her former teammates showcased some flawless game, including guard Raven Johnson.
While HC Dawn Staley predicted Boston as the future MVP in the WNBA, she made another bold plea about her senior guard, Johnson, highlighting her impact on the game.
Dawn Staley Backs Raven Johnson
The South Carolina Gamecocks are delivering one of the most impressive seasons so far, reminding fans of their 2023-24 campaign, when they went on an undefeated run to claim the NCAA title in the end. While different groups of players led the side to the championship, HC Dawn Staley kept faith in her senior guard and even endorses her as a possible first-round pick.
In the recent press conference after the win over USC Trojans, Staley said, “If WNBA teams want to have the amount of success we had with her in the lineup, they will take Raven in the first round.”
“If WNBA teams want to have the amount of success we had with her in the lineup, they will take Raven in the first round”. 🙂↕️🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/3Mf6gZswC7
— WNBAGamecocks (@WNBAGamecocks) November 16, 2025
Raven won two NCAA Championships under Dawn Staley and lost a total of five games in her three seasons so far. The 2025 NCAA Runners-up title was also another major accomplishment for her side in her tenure. The 55-year-old coach clapped back at haters, saying that their attempt to minimize her importance is disheartening and ignorant, and mentioned that they don’t really understand the game.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
With predicted top picks in the 2026 WNBA draft slowly getting into the rhythm, Johnson had been stepping up her game from the start and averages 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, and six assists per game – all career highs, potentially moving up in her draft picks with her all-around performance.
Is Raven Johnson A Potential First-Rounder?
ESPN’s predicted top picks include three players from the South Carolina Gamecocks – Ta’Niya Latson (4th), Chloe Kitts (10th), and Madina Okot (15th). Chloe Kitts is out injured for the season, leaving her out of the race for the possible draft scenario. While Latson showed her credibility last season with Florida State and will only improve under Dawn Staley’s system, Madina Okot had been a double-double machine for the side.
Apart from these two stars, the 22-year-old guard had been the most impactful star for Staley. She is the team’s top assist maker and leads them in steals. Despite being a guard, she averages 6.3 rebounds so far, providing an all-around performance for her side. The two-time NCAA Champion has a strong chance to be in the top 13 picks, with the WNBA teams looking to fill in a defensive guard as backup.