How do you course of profitable 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 enjoying for a program that’s synonymous with profitable, the usual is even greater. For Gamecock standout Tessa Johnson, the then-freshman had heard all about how tough it was to solidify a ‘chip from former gamers and even the teaching employees, nonetheless 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 underneath the helm of legendary head coach Daybreak Staley.
The epic showdown drew 18.9 million views, making it essentially the most watched basketball recreation since 2019. The world noticed not solely how undeniably dominate the Gamecocks are, and have all the time been, however received a glimpse at simply what to anticipate from the way forward for the sport: with a gifted 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 underneath the strain. As Staley instructed us for the quilt of SLAM 250, relatively than having “balked” for minutes or enjoying time, they carried themselves with grace, have been guided by veteran management and confirmed up each recreation with a can’t-lose mentality that, finally, grew to become a actuality.
“It received tougher each stage within the competitors,” Johnson instructed us in Might, only a month after the title recreation. “We performed Texas A&M twice, most likely, 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 profitable or finished—I believe the extent of competitors grew loads it was far more bodily. You needed to be in your A recreation. The preparation is vital and I believe our coaches did a great job of mentally making ready us in addition to bodily making ready us. And in addition, the leaders on my group, the older folks, they instructed us what to form of count on. MiLaysia [and I], they instructed us simply to play our recreation, overlook the large stage or no matter.”
As your entire world watch Staley’s squad energy their means by the NCAA event, the Nationwide Championship was the head of must-see TV. And when the lights have been the brightest, Johnson, who performed essentially 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 could be an understatement, Johnson was pure perfection each time the second referred to as upon her, which was very often. Within the second, she was on the market flattening 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 essentially the most environment friendly on the ground, capturing 63 excellent from the sector, however she was completely fearless.
Fearless is a phrase the Minnesota-native resonates with on a good deeper, non secular stage.
“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 symbolize Him on the court docket and so I pray to only 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 after I get on the court docket. I used to be additionally considering of the phrase fearless, as a result of, after I was youthful, I might play fearless. [I’d think], Why am I afraid to make errors? Like, everybody’s gonna make errors on the market on the court docket.”
It’s a pregame apply that Johnson’s all the time had as a part of her routine: throughout heat ups, she sits within the fourth chair from the tip. 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 appropriately, I used to be praying for steerage, for peace [and] for power on the court docket.”
All season lengthy, Johnson says her mindset was to only belief the method, particularly provided that she was new to the group and felt that she had loads to study when it comes to comfortability on the hardwood. “I’m a newbie, I’m not as comfy on the court docket, 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 trust 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 type 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 very best 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 instructed WSLAM. “Truly, the kids simply allowed the older gamers to information them to the purpose the place they have been so assured coming into the basketball recreation 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 all the time extremely aggressive—her mother, Danielle, who was us in our workplace when Johnson stopped by for a photoshoot—admits that she’s all the time had a craving to be the very best.
“You all the time needed to be a dawg,” she chimes in and says to Tessa throughout our interview. “The most effective at no matter they have been doing. While you labored arduous, you needed to be the primary one finished with one thing. You needed your journaling at college to be higher than the opposite children. Not in a foul means, however simply that she needed to all the time do her greatest.”
Regardless of having a bubbly, upbeat persona, plus a humorousness that’s unmatched (go watch our newest video along with her, the 6-0 guard is so charismatic on digicam, she completely wants her personal tv present sooner or later), Johnson’s capability to faucet into that stage of competitiveness each time she’s on the court docket 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, all the time getting higher on daily basis is what motivates me.”
Johnson noticed herself having the ability elevate her recreation to that stage in Columbia. After averaging 6.6 factors in her first 12 months, she’s now targeted on not simply elevating her recreation bodily this summer time, however is much more targeted on her psychological well being. It’s all the time served as a key element of her breakout success, even relationship again to highschool when she missed her sophomore season due a damaged leg harm. 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 recreation. “I really feel extra like, highly effective on the market as a result of I went by that and I’m again now,” she instructed Kare11 Information in 2022.
Whilst an NCAA champion, Johnson seems like she will be able to approve her psychological strategy much more. “Sure, I have to work on all my bodily stuff and simply my abilities and fundamentals however I believe basketball is a really psychological recreation,” she says. “Me with the ability to overcome all my errors and simply having a progress mindset and with the ability to take heed to whoever’s attempting to assist me. I believe that’s what I have to get higher at.”
How precisely does she plan on going about that? “That’s a great query. Getting deeper into my religion,” she explains. “I believe that all the time helps and that’s what I do on daily basis. I attempt to construct a greater relationship with God. However, going about it, I believe I simply have to all the time take moments out of my day and simply mirror on myself and consider what I have to do higher and what I’ve overcome usually as a result of you must suppose optimistic. I do know for me typically that’s arduous as a result of I’ve such excessive expectations for myself. And so after I don’t attain it, I’m like, I simply get slightly detrimental with myself. Like, the truth that I wish to be higher than my yesterday self. That helps me.”
As for the way life’s been since profitable the ‘chip, Johnson admits she’s nonetheless processing. It was a legendary second, one which’ll go down in not simply ladies’s basketball—however all of faculty 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 should deliver that very same power after which some.
“[The recognition], it’s good, however then I’m considering of subsequent season as a result of that’s what we now have to do,” she says. “We will take all of the moments and benefit from the moments. However now, we’re on to summer time. 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 form of the mindset.”
Pictures through Getty Photos. Portraits by Evan Bernstein.