After the Iowa Hawkeyes put an end to South Carolina’s undefeated season last year, they came back this year with just one motive in mind: redemption. From the start of the season, sophomore Raven Johnson had labeled the season a “revenge tour” to make up for the Final Four loss last season. And they finally avenged the humiliation with an emphatic 87-75 win over the Hawkeyes in the NCAA women’s national title game, sending them empty-handed for a second straight season.

“All I have to say is: The revenge tour is over,” declared Johnson post-victory. The 21-year-old also took to X to celebrate the victory, posting a photo of her holding the championship with the caption, “Still unbelievable, but my coach said it best.“Uncommon Favor”!!!!” Among the people congratulating her on the win was Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, who wrote, “Proud of my daughter @HollywoodRaven.”

The revenge tour was personal for Johnson. Despite posting a respectable 13 points on 50% shooting efficiency from beyond the arc during last season’s Final Four clash, Caitlin Clark waived Johnson at the top of the arc, indicating that she wasn’t a threat from the outside.

The clip went viral, and Johnson was embarrassed, to the extent that she even contemplated quitting basketball. However, she picked herself up and declared the 2023–24 season her revenge tour, an apology to herself, her teammates, and her coach.

Raven Johnson exacts her sweet revenge

In the 2024 rematch, Raven Johnson made sure that the Gamecocks were not waved off. The previous year, Caitlin Clark had scorched South Carolina with a staggering 41-point performance. At the outset of Sunday’s game, it seemed Clark was on track to surpass that, netting 18 points in the first quarter alone. However, then Johnson stepped in and took the defensive assignment on Iowa’s star. She had been preparing for this moment since that viral encounter, taking 200 three-pointers in practice and watching Clark’s film to study her moves closely. And all of it paid off on Sunday.

With Johnson as her primary defender for the rest of the game, Clark was limited to just 12 points, with an inefficient shot completion of 10 for 28. Johnson also added two blocks and four steals to finish the game and send Clark without a national title before her WNBA draft next week. “Because of what happened last year, [this] was an apology to my teammates, my coaches, and myself. Like I said, it was a revenge tour. And there’s no better way than to play them in the championship and beat them,” said Johnson after South Carolina won its third national championship.

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