Best friends and teammates Raven Johnson and Ta'Niya Latson ended up on the wrong side of the scoresheet in the NCAA finals against the UCLA Bruins. But that didn't turn them negative towards their coach, Dawn Staley.

Despite a dominant run throughout the season, Staley and Johnson's Gamecocks suffered a twist of fate on the grandest stage, losing the NCAA finals 79-51 to the Bruins. While the duo had a tear-filled moment in the press conference, they disclosed how Staley guided them both technically and mentally.

"Just patience, working on efficiency, working on my jump shot. She (coach Dawn Staley) taught me a lot about myself," Latson said. Johnson added, “[Staley developed my] Pro habits and leadership ability. Just being who I am really."

The Florida State transfer was the standout performer in her junior year as the top scorer before joining the Gamecocks.

Both Johnson and Latson had a disappointing showcase in the final, both offensively and defensively. Latson scored just 4 points with 1-5 shooting from the field along with 3 rebounds.

Johnson was not any better, as she was only able to grab 3 points from 1-7 shooting from the field, with no luck from her four shots beyond the arc.

To their credit, UCLA left no room for mistakes, and the duo also paid their appreciation to coach Cori Close's team.

“I think they did every little thing.” John said.“Every 50-50 ball went their way. Every 2nd and 3rd, 4th chance points … we didn’t (have) the intangibles.” Latson added.

Meanwhile, Staley mentioned that both Johnson and Latson are capable enough to become top players in the WNBA, regardless of their finals performance. The duo has earned more than enough credit in their bags just from the past season alone.

"I think they (Latson and Johnson) are well-rounded individuals from a basketball standpoint," Staley said. "They are great humans. You want somebody in your franchise who you see is going to come to work every day on time, early, come in early, stay late, then everything in between."

Despite the loss, Latson doesn't regret her decision to transfer, and she's proud of her team for making it to the final game of the season. She had never made it past the second round at Florida State.

While the duo's collegiate career ended with a championship loss, Johnson sent out a message to their younger teammates by making their story an example.

Raven Johnson Believes The 2026 NCAA Loss Is A Great Lesson For Her Younger Teammates

In a video uploaded by Chaz Frazier on X, Johnson, who played the last game of her collegiate career, shared her thoughts on the loss and explained how the Gamecocks will move forward without her on the team.

Johnson hoped that the tough loss witnessed on Sunday would be a lesson for the side's young players to reach the finals again next year and return with the title.

“ I think, you know, I think it’s gonna be a great lesson for the younger players, I hope. I hope they feel how we got whooped. We didn’t get beat, we got whooped, and I hope they come back next year and make it to the championship game and win, so,” Johnson said.

The Gamecocks have a pretty rich history when it comes to appearances in the Final Four and national championship games. Under Dawn Staley, it is a matter of when and not if South Carolina will win another championship.

But how soon do you think it will come, especially since Johnson wouldn't be in the side anymore?

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Souvik Roy