South Carolina star Tessa Johnson opens up about her belief in winning the title

How do you process winning it all? It's a feeling most of us will never understand, or feel: only a few ever win championships, and when you play for a winning system, the level is even higher. For Gamecock standout Tessa Johnson, who was just starting at the time had heard all about how difficult it was to strengthen the 'chip of the former players and even the coaching staff, yet to do so after the team's success last year. But after posting an undefeated season, holding their own in the 2024 NCAA tournament, they beat Iowa to win their third title under head coach Dawn Staley.

The historic game drew 18.9 million viewers, making it the most-watched basketball game of 2019. Not only did the world see that the Gamecocks are undeniably dominant, and always have been, but they got a glimpse of what to expect in the future of the game. : with a talented roster that includes WNBA first round draft pick Kamilla Cardoso, they were also equipped with a core group of freshmen and sophomores, including Johnson, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Raven Johnson and Chloe Kitts, they could easily fail. under pressure. As Staley told us on the cover of SLAM 250, rather than “holding” minutes or playing time, they carried themselves with grace, guided by tough leadership and showed every game with the mentality of not being able to lose, in the end. , it became reality.

“It's been tough on every level of the tournament,” Johnson told us in May, just a month after the title game. “We played Texas A&M twice, maybe, and in the regular season, compared to the SEC tournament, that was a completely different team. So, the competition, and the fact that everybody was winning or finishing—I think the level of competition was very physical. You had to be on your A game. Preparation is key and I think our coaches have done a good job of preparing us mentally as well as physically. Also, the leaders of my team, the seniors, told us what to expect. MiLaysia [and I]they told us to play our game, forget the big stage or whatever.”

As the entire world watched Staley's squad roll through the NCAA tournament, the National Championship became must-see TV. And when the lights went on, Johnson, who played the most minutes (25) for a freshman, shined like a star and led his squad with a career-high 19 points off the bench. To say he was clutch would be an understatement, Johnson was perfect whenever the moment came, which was very often. In the second, he was out knocking down easy and smooth midrange jumpers and finishing at the rim with ease, and in the third, he was taking on teammates like Bree Hall and hitting clutch threes that had everyone at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in their place. the feet.

Not only was he very efficient on the floor, shooting a perfect 63 from the field, but he was also fearless.

Fearlessness is a word that the native people of Minnesota speak about on a deep, spiritual level.

“Before the games I pray because I play for God there. Besides playing for South Carolina, my family and my teammates, I really play for God. I represent him in court so I pray to clear my mind, give me peace, and I pray for the other party, [too]. [For] no injuries and stuff like that. That humbles me when I enter the court. I also thought about the word fearlessness, because, when I was young, I played without fear. [I’d think], Who am I afraid of making mistakes? Like, everybody's going to make mistakes on the court.”

It's a pregame routine Johnson has as part of his routine: during warmups, he sits in the fourth seat from the end. The number four is symbolic to him: a four-star recruit, Johnson wore No. 4 throughout his high school career as a star at St. Michael-Albertville. It also reminds him of his sister, Rae, who rocked it as her jersey number while hoopin' at Iowa State, and in the Bible, the number represents God's creative work, specifically creating all living things in four days. span.

“I just prayed [for] what I felt in my heart,” added Johnson. “If I remember correctly, I was praying for guidance, for peace [and] to get the power of the court.”

Throughout the season, Johnson says his mindset has been to trust the system, especially since he's new to the team and feels he has a lot to learn about being comfortable on the hardwood. “I'm a beginner, I'm not comfortable on the field, I've never played with them, so I just trust the system, trust my coaches, and trust myself. Because, at the end of the day, as I've worked, I don't know how long, I don't know how many years, but I've worked for it, and just to trust myself out there, and have it. confidence there.”

Then there was the trust that Staley had in him. Hailed as a “player's coach,” Staley described his coaching style as wanting to be a “dream salesman” to young people. What he saw in Johnson, and others on the team, was just that: unwavering confidence and a willingness to learn and be guided. “Tesa [Johnson could’ve been like], I could play with the best of them all. Let me get some time for Breezy. Let me find the time for Raven. [But] they didn't,” he told WSLAM. “Actually, the younger ones just let the older players guide them until they got to the point where they were so confident going into the basketball game that they knew they would have an impact.”

It's that kind of support that drew Johnson to South Carolina in the first place. Growing up, Johnson was always very competitive—her mother, Danielle, who was in the office when Johnson stopped by for a photo shoot—admits that she always wanted to be the best.

“You always wanted to be a dawg,” he chimes in and tells Tessa during our interview. “The best thing they were doing. When you worked hard, you wanted to be the first to do something. You wanted your writing at school to be better than other kids. Not in a bad way, but that he always wanted to do his best.”

Despite having a happy, fun personality, and an unmatched sense of humor (go watch our latest video with him, the 6-0 guard has such a love for the camera, he really needs his own television show someday), Johnson's ability to click. that level of competition whenever he's on the court is part of what makes him a superstar on the hardwood. “I didn't care what it was, I wanted to do better than them. And then, after I do it, the other competitive part of me is, I want to do better than what I just did. So, being better every day is what motivates me.”

Johnson saw himself able to raise his game to that level at Columbia. After averaging 6.6 points in his freshman year, he is now focused not only on elevating his game physically this summer, but even more so on his mental health. It has always been used as a key part of his breakout success, even as a freshman in high school when he missed his sophomore season with a leg injury. Johnson returned as a junior and helped his team to a state runner-up finish, and in his senior year, he led his team to its first title since '09, throwing twice in the championship game. “I feel very strong because I went through that and I'm back now,” he told Kare11 News in 2022.

Even as an NCAA champion, Johnson feels like he can stretch his mindset even further. “Yes, I need to work on all my physical things and my skills and fundamentals but I think basketball is a mental game,” he said. “I can overcome all my mistakes and have the mindset to grow and I can listen to anyone who tries to help me. I think that's what I need to get better at.”

How exactly do you organize that? “That's a good question. Deep in my faith,” he explained. “I think that helps and that's what I do every day. I am trying to build a better relationship with God. But, if I continue with it, I think I should always take a moment in my day and just reflect and think about what I should do better and what I have overcome in general because you have to think well. I know for me sometimes that is difficult because I expect a lot from myself. And so if I don't achieve it, I'm like, I just get a little negative on myself. Like, the fact that I want to be better than I was yesterday. That helps me.”

As for what life has been like since winning the 'chip, Johnson admits he's still figuring it out. It was a legendary moment, one that will not only go down in women's basketball—but in all of college hoops history, but that doesn't mean the grind is over. As the Gamecocks look to embark on a “Repeat Tour” of the 2024-25 season and make it back, they will need to bring that same energy and then some.

“[The recognition], it's good, but then I think about next season because that's what we have to do,” he said. “We can take every moment and enjoy the moments. But now, we're on our way to summer. School is over, so we are thinking about the next season, we have to work hard to be better because the teams will test us a lot and hold us firmly. [They’ll] knowing more about the little things we do. So, that's kind of the idea. “

Photos via Getty Images. Photos by Evan Bernstein.