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How do you course of successful all of it? It’s a sense most of us won’t ever perceive, nor expertise: solely the choose few ever win championships, and if you’re taking part in for a program that’s synonymous with successful, the usual is even increased. For Gamecock standout Tessa Johnson, the then-freshman had heard all about how troublesome it was to solidify a ‘chip from former gamers and even the teaching workers, however to take action after the group gained the 12 months prior. However after posting an undefeated season, holding their very own within the 2024 NCAA event, they defeated Iowa to win their third title beneath the helm of legendary head coach Daybreak Staley.
The epic showdown drew 18.9 million views, making it probably the most watched basketball sport since 2019. The world noticed not solely how undeniably dominate the Gamecocks are, and have at all times been, however bought a glimpse at simply what to anticipate from the way forward for the sport: with a proficient roster that included a future first-round WNBA draft choose in Kamilla Cardoso, they have been additionally geared up with a core group of freshman and sophomores, together with Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Raven Johnson and Chloe Kitts, they might’ve simply faltered beneath the strain. As Staley told us for the cover of SLAM 250, moderately than having “balked” for minutes or taking part in time, they carried themselves with grace, have been guided by veteran management and confirmed up each sport with a can’t-lose mentality that, finally, turned a actuality.
“It bought tougher each degree within the competitors,” Johnson advised us in Could, only a month after the title sport. “We performed Texas A&M twice, in all probability, and within the common season, in comparison with within the SEC event, that was a complete totally different group. So simply, the competitors, and the truth that everybody was both successful or completed—I believe the extent of competitors grew so much it was far more bodily. You needed to be in your A sport. The preparation is essential and I believe our coaches did a very good job of mentally getting ready us in addition to bodily getting ready us. And likewise, the leaders on my group, the older folks, they advised us what to type of anticipate. MiLaysia [and I], they advised us simply to play our sport, neglect the large stage or no matter.”
As the complete world watch Staley’s squad energy their method by way of the NCAA event, the Nationwide Championship was the top of must-see TV. And when the lights have been the brightest, Johnson, who performed probably the most minutes (25) for a freshman, shined just like the star that she is and led her squad with a career-high 19 factors off the bench. To say that she was clutch can be an understatement, Johnson was pure perfection every time the second referred to as upon her, which was very often. Within the second, she was on the market pulling down silky-smooth midrange jumpers and ending on the rim with ease, and by the third, she was dishing dimes to teammates like Bree Corridor and hitting clutch threes that had everybody in Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on their ft.
Not solely was she probably the most environment friendly on the ground, capturing 63 good from the sector, however she was completely fearless.
Fearless is a phrase the Minnesota-native resonates with on a fair deeper, non secular degree.
“Earlier than the video games, I pray as a result of I play for God on the market. In addition to the truth that I play for South Carolina, my household and my teammates, I actually play for God. I characterize Him on the courtroom and so I pray to simply ease my thoughts, give me peace, and I pray for the opposite group, [too]. [For] no accidents and stuff like that. That calms me down once I get on the courtroom. I used to be additionally considering of the phrase fearless, as a result of, once I was youthful, I’d play fearless. [I’d think], Why am I afraid to make errors? Like, everybody’s gonna make errors on the market on the courtroom.”
It’s a pregame follow that Johnson’s at all times had as a part of her routine: throughout heat ups, she sits within the fourth chair from the top. The quantity 4 is a symbolic one for her: a four-star recruit, Johnson wore No. 4 all through her highschool profession as a star at St. Michael-Albertville. It additionally reminds her of her sister, Rae, who rocked it as her jersey quantity whereas hoopin’ at Iowa State, and within the Bible, the quantity additionally represents the artistic work of God, particularly in creating all of life in a four-day span.
“I simply prayed [for] what I felt in my coronary heart,” Johnson provides. “If I keep in mind accurately, I used to be praying for steering, for peace [and] for power on the courtroom.”
All season lengthy, Johnson says her mindset was to simply belief the method, particularly on condition that she was new to the group and felt that she had so much to study by way of comfortability on the hardwood. “I’m a newbie, I’m not as snug on the courtroom, I haven’t performed with them earlier than, so simply belief the method, belief my coaches, and belief myself on the market. As a result of, on the finish of the day, like I’ve labored, I don’t know the way lengthy, I don’t know what number of years, however I’ve labored for it, and simply to belief myself on the market, and believe on the market.”
Then there’s the belief that Staley had in her. Revered for being a “participant’s coach,” Staley has credited her teaching fashion as desirous to be a “dream service provider” for younger folks. What she noticed from Johnson, and others on the group, was simply that: an unwavering confidence and willingness to study and be guided. “Tessa [Johnson could’ve been like], I might play with the most effective of them. Let me get a few of Breezy’s time. Let me get a few of Raven’s time. [But] they didn’t,” she told WSLAM. “Truly, the kids simply allowed the older gamers to information them to the purpose the place they have been so assured getting into the basketball sport that they knew that they have been going to make an influence.”
It’s that kind of assist that drew Johnson to South Carolina within the first place. Rising up, Johnson was at all times extremely aggressive—her mother, Danielle, who was us in our workplace when Johnson stopped by for a photoshoot—admits that she’s at all times had a craving to be the most effective.
“You at all times needed to be a dawg,” she chimes in and says to Tessa throughout our interview. “The perfect at no matter they have been doing. If you labored arduous, you needed to be the primary one completed with one thing. You needed your journaling at college to be higher than the opposite youngsters. Not in a foul method, however simply that she needed to at all times do her greatest.”
Regardless of having a bubbly, upbeat character, plus a humorousness that’s unmatched (go watch our newest video together with her, the 6-0 guard is so charismatic on digicam, she completely wants her personal tv present someday), Johnson’s capacity to faucet into that degree of competitiveness every time she’s on the courtroom is a part of what makes her a star on the hardwood. “I didn’t care what it was, I simply needed to do higher than them. After which, after doing it, one other aggressive piece of me is, I wish to do higher than what I simply did. So, like, at all times getting higher day-after-day is what motivates me.”
Johnson noticed herself having the ability elevate her sport to that degree in Columbia. After averaging 6.6 factors in her first 12 months, she’s now targeted on not simply elevating her sport bodily this summer season, however is much more targeted on her psychological well being. It’s at all times served as a key element of her breakout success, even relationship again to highschool when she missed her sophomore season due a damaged leg damage. Johnson returned as a junior and helped her group emerge as runner-up to the state title, and by her senior 12 months, she led her squad to its first state title since ‘09, dropping a double-double within the championship sport. “I really feel extra like, highly effective on the market as a result of I went by way of that and I’m again now,” she told Kare11 Information in 2022.
At the same time as an NCAA champion, Johnson appears like she will be able to approve her psychological strategy much more. “Sure, I must work on all my bodily stuff and simply my expertise and fundamentals however I believe basketball is a really psychological sport,” she says. “Me having the ability to overcome all my errors and simply having a development mindset and having the ability to take heed to whoever’s attempting to assist me. I believe that’s what I must get higher at.”
How precisely does she plan on going about that? “That’s a very good query. Getting deeper into my religion,” she explains. “I believe that at all times helps and that’s what I do day-after-day. I attempt to construct a greater relationship with God. However, going about it, I believe I simply must at all times take moments out of my day and simply replicate on myself and consider what I must do higher and what I’ve overcome generally as a result of it’s a must to suppose optimistic. I do know for me typically that’s arduous as a result of I’ve such excessive expectations for myself. And so once I don’t attain it, I’m like, I simply get somewhat damaging with myself. Like, the truth that I wish to be higher than my yesterday self. That helps me.”
As for a way life’s been since successful the ‘chip, Johnson admits she’s nonetheless processing. It was a legendary second, one which’ll go down in not simply girls’s basketball—however all of school hoops—historical past, however that doesn’t imply that the grind is over. Because the Gamecocks look to embark on the “Repeat Tour” for the 2024-25 season and run it again, they’ll need to deliver that very same vitality after which some.
“[The recognition], it’s good, however then I’m considering of subsequent season as a result of that’s what we have now to do,” she says. “We will take all of the moments and benefit from the moments. However now, we’re on to summer season. And college is over, so we’re considering of subsequent season, simply figuring out and getting higher as a result of groups are going to scout us tougher and play us tighter. [They’ll] know extra of the little issues that we do. So, that’s type of the mindset.”
Pictures by way of Getty Photos. Portraits by Evan Bernstein.
