Three years ago, Raven Johnson was openly challenged by none other than Caitlin Clark. And worse, she did not do anything about it. In the 2023 Final Four, the Hawkeyes defeated South Carolina 77-73 but the moment of disrespect came in the first quarter of that game. Johnson dribbled the ball to the three-point line. But Clark waved off Johnson, who shot 24% from 3, leaving her completely unguarded. Johnson was shocked but refused to take a wide-open shot that went viral. Cut to today. Johnson reveals how that virality and backlash impacted her at the time. 

“I was all over the internet,” She said in an interview on the “I am Next” show.  “That’s one reason I hate the internet now because of that situation. I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t, aka like a monkey or this. It was just things like that, and I just think I wanted to quit basketball at that time. I wanted to go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.

Sadly, that’s how the internet works. Once it went viral, there was no stopping it. Even at the time, she did not blame Clark for being competitive, but it is all the external criticism that affected her. And gaining all this attention and abuse was just a 20 year old athlete who was trying her best. The event was a pivotal moment in Johnson’s life, but she did not give up. And now, Johnson finds comfort from the fact that she redeemed herself the very next year. 

“I leaned on God,” She said. “I had some wonderful teammates, wonderful people in my life, and they helped me find that light and they put so much fuel to the fire for me to go back the next year. We were undefeated and met that team again and we beat them. So I think it was all God’s plan, honestly.”

It was the national championship game. Once again Caitlin Clark was on fire. She set a championship record with 18 points in the first quarter itself. But in the second quarter, Dawn Staley switched Raven Johnson onto Clark. The game completely flipped from there. With Johnson as the primary defender, Clark made 5 of 20 shots and scored just 12 points and even committed 4 turnovers. It was a moment of redemption. 

But she did not need that. Before the game itself, Clark had praised Johnson for her evolution. “I think Raven’s had a tremendous year,” Clark said Saturday. “I think not only from a shooting perspective but also as the point guard of a team, as the guard of a team, she’s been a true leader. She’s led that team.’ So, it was a full-circle occasion for Johnson. Now in her final year with the Gamecocks, Johnson has just led the team to another Elite 8. 

Raven Johnson Reveals The Secret Behind Her Leadership After Booking Elite 8 Spot 

Raven Johnson has grown through the years at South Carolina. From a role player still learning the ropes, she is now the primary leader of this side. Going up against Oklahoma, Raven Johnson scored 18 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds to help the top-seeded Gamecocks beat No. 4 seed Oklahoma 94-68. 

But it was not only about her scoring. she was often seen guiding young guards like Maddy McDaniel from the sidelines. She was in the game even when she was not. To which she pointed to experience as the primary factor behind this growth. 

“I’ve been here four, five, five times now. Five times,” She said. “And I think experience does matter. I think using my voice goes a long way. They listen, and when Maddie is on the floor, I try to calm her down. She’s next up and I think she does a really good job of learning and leading us too.”

Moments like Caitlin Clark waving her off, her ACL injury and her mental health struggles played an important part in Johnson becoming what she is today. Johnson pointed out that she deliberately worked on the mental aspect of the game after the Clark incident. “I didn’t even want to eat or walk out of the room. I lost myself, and I definitely don’t want to go back to that phase of my life. But maybe I needed that to find who I am today,” She said. Now, Johnson and South Carolina move on to the Elite 8 with the aim of another national championship.