The South Carolina Gamecocks have reinvented themselves. As Aliyah Boston, Zia Cooke, Brea Beal, and a few other key players departed, Dawn Staley had a busy offseason, signing five-star players and bringing in transfers. Because of Staley's hard work, the Gamecocks have as much talent as ever and are currently the No. 1 team in the nation.
There are several things to get into for South Carolina. We can dive into the flashy plays of freshmen guard MiLaysia Fulwiley or the terrific post-play of Kamilla Cardoso. However, one of the biggest x-factors of the Gamecocks' early success is the all-around play of sophomore guard Raven Johnson.
Raven Johnson is looking to erase the disappointment of last season, dominating along the way
Johnson has made it known that this is "revenge season." Last season, the Gamecocks fell short of repeating as National Champions after losing to Iowa in the Final Four.
"As soon as we lost, we got all of these hate comments," she stated in a postgame presser. The aftermath for South Carolina was a lot of scrutiny from outsiders. Johnson used the hate her team received as motivation heading into this season.
If there's one word to describe South Carolina's first three games its dominance. It all began In Paris, France as they dominated Notre Dame for their first win of the season. Coach Staley continues to do a terrific job of preparing her team for what's ahead. The Gamecocks look sharp on both ends of the floor and are executing to perfection. What stands out from Johnson in this early season is the connection with her teammates. As the primary ball-handler, she's done a great job of running the floor and setting the table.
Through the first three games of the season, Raven Johnson is averaging 8.3 points along with a career-high 10.7 assists. She has continued to play her role and contribute in ways that play to her strengths.
In the Gamecocks' last game against Clemson, she dished 17 assists and continued to drop dimes through the course of the game. Johnson was able to find teammates behind the 3-point line as well as running high-low action with bigs for easy paint touches.
Let's also not forget Johnson was active defensively with five steals as well. There is no question that Johnson was the leading factor on both ends of the floor, giving the Gamecocks a monstrous 109-40 victory at home.
The Gamecocks are only three games into their season with more time to progress. Johnson has shown that she's motivated to lead South Carolina to more success as she moves forward. Taking the experience she learned in her first two seasons, Johnson understands what it takes to win at the highest level.
