South Carolina women's basketball: "Tournament Tessa" Johnson is peaking at the right time

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With four minutes left in South Carolina’s Elite Eight game against Oregon, things were getting desperate. A 12-0 un in the third quarter had given South Carolina a 14-point lead and a win felt inevitable until it didn’t.

The Gamecocks’ offense had gone ice cold. Over about seven minutes, the Gamecocks missed 9-11 shot attempts and the Beavers chipped away with a methodical 15-5 run to pull within 62-58. The Gamecocks were flustered, so Dawn Staley called a timeout.

South Carolina got the ball in the post. She kicked it to Tessa Johnson waiting in the corner like the play had designed. With the defender charging at her, Johnson put the ball on the floor, got to the rim, hung in the air, and finished through the foul. Three-point play. Ballgame. See you in Cleveland.

“It was a three-point (shot) play but then I noticed that they came out at my shot so I just drove it,” Johnson said. 

Johnson scored seven of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter, hitting all five of her free throws to seal the win. It was surprising – except that it wasn’t. March was a month-long coming-out party for Johnson. 

After missing out on the SEC tournament celebration because she was ejected for leaving the bench (“We don’t talk about that,” she giggled), Johnson finally got to cut down the net and gather confetti in Albany.

“Growing up I’ve always wanted to be there and I just can’t wait for next week,” Johnson said.

It started in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals when Johnson came off the bench and settled do a flustered team. She scored four points and blocked a shot to start a Gamecock run, and then she ended Texas A&M’s last push with a three-point play.

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Against Tennessee, Johnson not only guarded Rickea Jackson but outplayed her throughout the first half. Johnson had another four points against LSU. In the first round, she was called on to start, and even though she went scoreless, it showed how much trust Staley has in her.

Johnson bounced back with 11 points against North Carolina, including back-to-back threes that kickstarted the mammoth 30-2 run that put the Tar Heels away by halftime. Then she added seven against Indiana. She’s made a deep bench even deeper.

“The pressure’s not on one player,” Johnson said. “Pressure can make or break teams, but we have such a deep team that anyone can have their day, that’s really good for us.”

She has also become a star on social media with her “Tea Time for Tessa” segments. She prowls through the locker room with a camera in tow, looking for her next subject/victim. When she spots someone Johnson excitedly bounces over as everyone rolls their eyes.

It’s not an act, Johnson’s roommate Chloe Kitts said. That’s just Tessa.

“She’s insane,” Kitts said. “She’s a little girl.”

I gave Johnson a chance to respond. She thought for a while and then in a very serious voice answered.

“Everyone says we are two peas in a pod, so she’s nuts too,” Johnson said.

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After the Oregon State game, a large group of reporters went out for dinner. Later, over lemonades, a few people who don’t regularly cover South Carolina said, “I can’t believe Tessa Johnson hit that shot. Is she that good?”

Over the last month, she has been. In the postseason, Johnson averages 8.3 points, up from 5.6 in the regular season. It’s past time to be surprised when she makes a big play. Is it time to start calling her Tournament Tessa?

“No! (giggles) No,” Johnson said. “I mean you can if you’d like.”

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