South Carolina women's basketball head coach Dawn Staley extolled Raven Johnson after she helped the Gamecocks secure a big road win versus LSU last Saturday. She did the same after Thursday's 76-57 victory over Alabama, but for different reasons. The redshirt senior battled sickness heading into the game and was not at her best in Tuscaloosa. Staley was impressed just the same and commended her guard's fighting spirit.
“We didn't even know if she was going to play, but she braved through and played like the champion she is,” the elite coach told “SEC Now” after South Carolina's seventh straight W. “She's probably got a little flu, a little bug that's going on. Raven's still her vibrant self. She always wants to play… Her presence alone gives us a shot at winning. I felt comfort knowing that she was just actually going to try to go.”
“Raven was sick today, we didn't even know if she was going to play, but she braved through and played like the champion she is.”
Dawn Staley says Raven Johnson had her flu game in Tuscaloosa as @GamecockWBB is now 25-0 vs. Alabama in the Staley era. pic.twitter.com/xwBmz6SoOV
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 20, 2026
Johnson played only 19 minutes versus the Crimson Tide, recording two points, four assists and one steal. The 2023-24 champ is a true leader who knows her impact extends beyond the box score. She averages 6.5 points for her college career, and yet, everybody understands the significant value she adds to this program.
Although Raven Johnson did not show it in this latest SEC matchup, she has become the best version of herself this season. The All-Defensive Team selection can breathe rarefied South Carolina air if she wins another national title. Dawn Staley will trust her to take things one day at a time, though.
Right now, Johnson's focus should be on getting a good night's rest. She will hopefully feel more like herself in Sunday's meeting with Ole Miss.
