South Carolina women's basketball senior guard Raven Johnson has been selected as one of five finalists for the 2025-2026 Dawn Staley Award. The award, named after Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley, recognizes the most outstanding collegiate guard who exemplifies her skills in ball handling, scoring, distribution, and competitive drive. Johnson joins finalists from Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, UConn, and Ohio State.
The Phoenix Club of Philadelphia announced the finalists for the 2025-2026 Dawn Staley Award on March 12, 2026. Raven Johnson, a senior point guard for the South Carolina Gamecocks, is recognized alongside Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame, Mikayla Blakes of Vanderbilt, Azzi Fudd of UConn, and Jaloni Cambridge of Ohio State.
The award honors players who mirror the career attributes of Dawn Staley, a former NCAA and WNBA standout and current Gamecocks coach. It emphasizes ball handling, scoring ability, basketball distribution, and a strong will to win. Established in 2013, the award has previously gone to South Carolina players Tiffany Mitchell in 2014-2015 and Ty Harris in 2019-2020. Other Gamecocks, including Destanni Henderson, Zia Cooke, and MiLaysia Fulwiley, have been finalists in past years.
Johnson has had a standout season, earning second-team All-SEC honors and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award. She averages 10.3 points per game with career-best shooting efficiency from the field and three-point range. Her assist-to-turnover ratio stands at 5.4 to 1.6, highlighting her playmaking skills. Additionally, she is a finalist for the National Defensive Player of the Year and the Nancy Lieberman Award.
As a top ballhandler and elite defender, Johnson has achieved a career-high in scoring. Coach Dawn Staley has praised her leadership, noting that Johnson captains the offense in a transcendent manner. Staley recently stated she will miss Johnson the most among her graduating seniors.
This recognition underscores Johnson's impact on the court, aligning closely with the award's criteria.
