South Carolina’s Raven Johnson was waved off.
In the 2023 Final Four matchup against Iowa, superstar Caitlin Clark made the decision to sag off of the 5-foot-9 guard, who was standing at the 3-point line completely unguarded. Not only that, but she flung her arm toward Johnson, as though to say, “Nothing to worry about here here.”
The gesture went viral. Johnson was a 24.1 percent 3-point shooter at the time, considered a non-threat and felt humiliated.
Now, just a year later, Johnson is a 35.2 percent three-point shooter—a far more respectable figure that rivals the mark of Iowa sharpshooter Gabbie Marshall. The remarkable improvement is no coincidence, as Johnson spent the summer relentlessly working on her shot. In turn, no one is waving off Raven Johnson in 2024.
“I think it was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Johnson said. “Things happen for a reason. They told me to get in the gym and work on my weakness.” In the Sweet 16, Johnson hit what was likely the biggest 3-pointer in her basketball career, a shot that increased a two-point lead over Indiana to five. She finished with 14 points and a was perfect 3-for-3 from downtown.
“Nobody can sag off me this year, and I take that very personal,” Johnson said.
In part thanks to Johnson’s…
