Tessa Johnson is not your average junior. In only two and a half years, Johnson has already graduated with a degree in psychology.

“I’m not going to lie, at first it didn’t really faze me about graduating so early,” said Johnson, “It didn’t hit me as much as someone else because I still have a year and a half here.”

Now, with a couple of years still left at South Carolina, Johnson has plans for another degree.

“The reason I was able to graduate in two and a half years was because my junior year….actually, my sister is older than me, and she graduated a half year earlier than me,” Johnson told the media after the Providence win.

“So when she was there, it would have been two years technically, but she did PSEO, and that’s like taking college classes and getting college credits while you’re in high school. And so I did that during my junior and senior years. And so, fortunately, the credits transferred. So I was able to come in almost at two years.” 

Johnson is from Minnesota, where the PSEO program allows high school students to earn extra credit for college. This program also permits students to take college courses tuition-free, saving both time and money on completing a college degree. In addition, Johnson was injured with a broken leg in her sophomore year of high school. 

Since she had time on her hands, the clever Johnson probably thought it would be best to get a jump on her college work. However, she returned to the basketball team as a junior, juggling leading the St. Michael-Albertville High School to the State finals and her college-level courses. Now, she wants to pursue further education while playing basketball. 

“So I was almost like a junior when I was a freshman academically. And then I graduated in psychology, and then the next year and a half, right now I’m thinking of getting trying to get my MBA,” she announced. 

Johnson isn’t WNBA draft eligible until 2027, and she is in contention to be a top pick. Currently, she is averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, and will only improve further. Also, it’s not like she is not looking at the WNBA.

“I envision a great future for her. She’s always dreamed of playing in the WNBA,” Johnson’s high school coach Kent Hamre said last year. “But even if she doesn’t make it there, she is going to do so many great things in the world because she’s such a kind-hearted, caring person, hard-working. She’s got that work ethic.”

And Tessa is just as competitive academically as she is on the court.

“It’s a relief to graduate, but I’m not satisfied because I don’t have my master’s yet. I’m very competitive, and I like to get good grades,” Johnson said.

As Johnson continues to stack accomplishments off the court, an unexpected turn of events has opened the door for a much larger role for her on the hardwood.

Tessa Johnson Can Get An Increased Role After Ta’Niya Latson Injury

Ta’Niya Latson shouted in agony in the second quarter as her ankle snapped while going for a layup. She walked out immediately while needing support for her injured left ankle. And did not return for the rest of the night.

“She got treatment and all second half. Just walked out. I think we’re going to look at her sometime tomorrow,” Staley announced after the game.

From the outset, it seems like a serious enough injury to the second-highest scorer of the Gamecocks. With Latson out, Staley will likely turn to Johnson to replace her production.

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With Latson out, Tessa Johnson immediately impressed against Providence. She had a game-high 18 points along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists while going 6-10 from the field and 5-8 from the three-point line. She is the best like-for-like replacement Staley has in her tight 10-player rotation.

As a combo guard, Latson is already the best offensive player on the team with an offensive rating of 136.6 per Barttorvik. She also scores 6.4 Points Over Replacement Per Game, making her an elite offensive threat. Johnson has already been starting, but as the fourth option for Staley. 

Her usage rate ranks among the lowest in the team at 16.3. Against Providence, it experienced a slight bump to 18.9. We can expect the trend to continue until Latson returns. However, her defensive display might need some improvement.