Ole Miss Rebels’ bid to down South Carolina at home for the first time this season ended in a humiliating fashion. Dawn Staley’s team handed the visitors their biggest 37-point defeat of the season in an 85-48 blowout win. The Rebels’ performance itself was disappointing on Sunday, with the team fairly struggling with shooting, but for Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, there was one Gamecocks player who contributed significantly in her team’s defeat, prompting the former to make an audacious claim.

The reality set in the post-game press conference when McPhee-McCuin raved about Gamecocks senior Raven Johnson’s performance in the game, while calling her the best point guard in the nation.

“I think they’re really good,” McPhee-McCuin said. “I think their Raven Johnson does not get the credit that she should, and I think she is the best point guard in the country, and she makes them go, and sometimes you don’t see it in the scorebook, but what she does you can’t teach. And I think their team is really coming along and becoming what coach expects them to be.”

The Ole Miss head coach’s assessment perfectly reflected Sunday’s scores. On the surface, Johnson recorded just 6 points. However, on a broader perspective, she disrupted the Rebels’ defense with her playmaking, dishing out 7 assists. And on the defensive front, the Gamecocks’ senior contributed three steals and three defensive rebounds, helping her team regain possession throughout and score 33-for-67 for 49% from open play to dent Ole Miss’ defense.

So it’s quite evident that for Johnson, it’s not just the points that matter; the overall elementary aspect of the court is even more important to her. There’s no doubt that in the Ole Miss game, Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot, who combined for 38 points in the game, would be in the spotlight, but it was Johnson who controlled the strings quietly and called the shots on the court like a leader.

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Johnson might not be the most prolific scoring guard like Hannah Hidalgo or Mikayla Blakes, but her overall impact on the game is nowhere near debatable.

McPhee-McCuin isn’t the first coach, though, to bring Johnson’s prowess into the spotlight. LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey reiterated a similar statement for the South Carolina guard ahead of the star-studded LSU-South Carolina matchup. “Raven Johnson, their point guard, is a tremendous leader for her program, and then you add Latson to the mix. Tess, their three-point shooter, what don’t they have?” Mulkey said.

While the praises keep coming for Raven Johnson, the upcoming stretch of the season is even more critical for her and the Gamecocks, where she would be challenge even more against tighter defenses and stronger offense.

What’s Next for Dawn Staley and Raven Johnson’s South Carolina Gamecocks?

With an 8th consecutive victory in SEC play over Ole Miss, Dawn Staley’s South Carolina is striding towards their sixth regular SEC Championship title. They have won a share of the title for now, and with the form they have been in, there’s a high chance they will clinch it outright in their next game.

While the stakes are massive, Staley doesn’t want her players to get complacent and just stick to the basics. “For us, it’s been play to our standard,” Staley said. “It’s real simple like play to the habits that you have developed over this season, and it’s worked out for us for 90%  of the season. But let’s not bring anything, let’s just stay in character. Let’s not try to do anything that we haven’t done. And that’s just it.”

From a season perspective, the Gamecocks are 27-2 and 13-1, with two remaining games in the regular season. They face unranked Missouri next on Thursday, followed by a game against No. 16 Kentucky on the road. In all probability, the Missouri game at the Colonial Life Arena can set the stage for Raven Johnson and co.’s regular title celebrations.

The ESPN predictions, which give the Gamecocks a 99% chance of winning, also reflect the same. But with a decorated roster, the definition of success is much more than just a regular conference title. Thus, in all proportions, the test of Johnson’s prowess will be the postseason conference tournament and, eventually, the Big Dance next month.

It’s even more special for Johnson, considering it’s her final season with the Gamecocks. And thereby, she would like to sign off her stint in the maroon and white jersey with a National Championship. However, for now, South Carolina’s undivided attention will be on the two upcoming regular games.