South Carolina women's basketball: Tessa Johnson wants to lead the Gamecocks to another national championship

“Who can guard Tessa?” LSU coach Kim Mulkey screamed during a timeout against South Carolina on Valentine’s Day. 

Tessa Johnson scored 21 points in the Gamecocks’ win over the Tigers, and Mulkey’s plea instantly became a meme, spawning posters, t-shirts (official and unofficial), and videos. 

In a broader, more philosophical sense, it was something that South Carolina’s coaches were asking last fall, too. 

Johnson scored 19 points in South Carolina’s October exhibition against North Carolina. After the game, she said, “I don’t really care about points.”

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“I do,” Dawn Staley interjected.

As a freshman, Johnson clinched South Carolina’s Elite Eight game against Oregon State and then scored a career-high 19 points in the national championship game. Staley was happy then that Johnson wanted to diversify her game, but she also needed her to understand that it’s her scoring, or the threat of her scoring, that opens up everything else.

Johnson got the message. She opened the season with four consecutive double-figure outings. Johnson had her first 20-point game of the season against Louisville and hit 20 points against Vanderbilt and LSU. Even when she didn’t have big scoring games, Johnson was effective.

“I think Tessa needs to understand sometimes it’s not about hitting 20 points a game. It’s about other things. They’re gonna guard her. She’s a shooter, and that helps other people get open,” Raven Johnson said. “They call her Tournament Tessa. She might not like that name, but they call her Tournament Tessa for a reason. I don’t think she’s had her best basketball yet.”

Johnson led the SEC in three-point shooting this season and is seventh in the country, hitting 44.5%. ESPN Andraya Carter creditedJohnson with being more aggressive, saying she no longer just blends into the offense.

“I’ve always been a fan of Tessa,” Carter said. “I’ve had some conversations with Tessa, because Tessa is so she’s so pleasant and fun and kind of light-hearted, and can just like, bounce around. And I’ve talked to her about her coaches as well. I played for Jolette Law, who’s on South Carolina staff, and so I’m very close to Coach Law. Coach Law is always getting on Tessa, like, ‘You got to be a dog! You got to be a dog!’ and a dog on both ends. Tessa is so talented, so athletic, she can be a dog defensively, but also a dog offensively in terms of I’m going to get my shot, I’m actually going to take this shot, not only going to take it, but I’m going to hit it, because I’m that good. And the next time down, as soon as the ball touches my hands, I’m gonna shoot it again. That’s the type of dog that Tessa can be, because she’s so good.” 

South Carolina doesn’t run a lot of plays specifically for Johnson. Her lightning-quick release makes her a constant threat because any time her defender hesitates for even a split second, Johnson can nail a basket.

“Really quick release,” Staley said. “I would say it’s natural. It probably hasn’t always been natural. Her dad did a really great job of coaching her up and putting her in this situation and allowing her game to be as attractive as it is not only to collegians, but I know, I sat with a couple of WNBA coaches, and she’s on their radar.”

If they weren’t already interested, WNBA coaches will be after what Staley said next.

“It’s quick. I mean, Diana Taurasi gets it off pretty quick, pretty quick,” Staley said. “I’ll just say that’s probably the only comparison I would say to their games is the amount of time that they have the ball in their hands before they shoot it.”

A few days later, Staley’s comparison was relayed to Johnson, and Johnson’s jaw dropped. After all, Taurasi is the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer.

“She was actually one of the players that my dad told me to watch when growing up,”
Johnson said. So I take that as a compliment from her. So thank you to Coach Staley.”

The Gamecocks appreciate how much Johnson works to get where she is. After an early January game in which Johnson shot just 1-9, she was spotted shooting jumpers in Colonial Life Arena hours after the game ended. In the next game, Johnson shot 4-5 and scored 13 points against Texas. Her work ethic amazes Staley.

“Oh, it’s unmatched. Unmatched. That was just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Tessa. Tessa’s always in (the gym shooting). She’s shooting now, she shoots before, she shoots after,” Staley said. “Shooters are a little… *points at her head* They are. They’re just, they’re just made up that way. Like, there’s a fluidness to them. There’s a rhythm to what they’re doing, and a missed shot can, I mean, one miss will shake them a little bit, two missed shots, three missed shots, four missed shots. Yeah, they got to get back at it. They’re obsessive with it. There’s nothing wrong with that, you know? I think when your work ethic drives you to wanting to be perfect, you’re gonna end up somewhere pretty good in the rankings overall.”

Raven Johnson sees the same thing.

“Tessa’s a person that’s hard on herself, and she’s also a person that leans on her faith,” Raven said. “But some days, you know, Tessa might not think she’s doing good in the basketball game, but I think her leadership (is important).”

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Johnson is averaging career-highs of 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. Her emergence as a leader has been just as important this season. When the Gamecocks huddle up on the court, Johnson is almost always talking.

“I’m a junior, and I’ve been through it before,” Johnson said. “I’ll just be having stuff to say in there. Other people talk too, but I feel like I have tried to take on the leadership role, just the fact that I am getting older. I am obviously on the older side of college. I’ve really tried to be more vocal.”

At different times this season, TV cameras have caught Johnson making jokes in the huddle, barking instructions, and occasionally lecturing a teammate. She said she reads the huddle to determine what her teammates need to hear, and credited the closeness of the team for being able to get after each other.

“It really depends what I feel like we need. Like, if we need some calmness, that. If I need to get on someone, like, I’ll do that. But it really, it really depends,” she said. 

The goal is another national championship, and Maddy McDaniel said other players listen because they know Johnson knows what it takes to win.

“She’s someone who’s been in our position not that long ago,” McDaniel said. “She’s not that far removed from being just an underclassman. I just feel like she’s a great leader. She feels where we’re coming from. She knows how it feels to be in the position that we’re in. She has used that to her advantage when she’s supporting us and trying to push us to be better. 

“It’s a selflessness,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter who scores, who passes, we all want what’s best for each other, because at the end of the day, we have one goal, and we’re not gonna get there by ourselves.”

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