Raven Johnson Reacts to Seeing Her Face on Dawn Staley's Shirt in South Carolina Sweet 16 Win

South Carolina women's basketball star point guard was featured on Dawn Staley's custom Gucci T-shirt during the Gamecocks' victory over Oklahoma.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 12:49am

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South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley showed up to the Sweet 16 game against Oklahoma wearing a Gucci jacket over a T-shirt that featured her starting point guard Raven Johnson's face. The custom shirts were made by the women's sports clothing brand Playa Society and went on sale just days before the game. Johnson was thrilled to see Staley, as well as assistant coach Khadijah Sessions and forward Adhel Tac, wearing the shirts to support her.

Why it matters

This gesture by Staley and the Playa Society custom shirts highlights the strong bond between the coach and her star player, as well as the growing trend of women's sports brands creating unique apparel to celebrate individual athletes. It also showcases South Carolina's dominance in the NCAA tournament, as they continue their quest for another national championship.

The details

Playa Society, a women's sports clothing brand, made new custom Raven Johnson T-shirts that went on sale on March 20. By March 28, Staley was wearing one of the shirts as the No. 1 seed Gamecocks (34-3) beat No. 4 seed Oklahoma (26-8) 94-68 in the Sweet 16. Johnson had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting with three assists, two rebounds, one steal and zero turnovers in the win.

  • The custom Raven Johnson T-shirts went on sale on March 20, 2026.
  • Staley wore the Raven Johnson T-shirt during the Sweet 16 game on March 28, 2026.

The players

Raven Johnson

The starting point guard for the South Carolina women's basketball team, who is one of the most successful players to wear a Gamecocks uniform.

Dawn Staley

The head coach of the South Carolina women's basketball team, who has led the Gamecocks to four national championships.

Khadijah Sessions

An assistant coach for the South Carolina women's basketball team.

Adhel Tac

A forward for the South Carolina women's basketball team who did not play due to injury.

Playa Society

A women's sports clothing brand that created custom T-shirts featuring Raven Johnson's face.

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What they’re saying

“I see my beautiful self. I'm happy she's wearing my shirt. I mean, she has a beautiful person on her chest.”

— Raven Johnson, South Carolina Women's Basketball Player

“I think for us and how we've operated at South Carolina, we just gotta prioritize and we've got to compartmentalize. There's a place for everything that you want to do. It's about prioritizing.”

— Dawn Staley, South Carolina Women's Basketball Head Coach

“I want them to be who they are. It's not always being serious. It's not always being in the gym. There's a balance to everything we do. We just try to prepare them for life, and life isn't just one-dimensional.”

— Dawn Staley, South Carolina Women's Basketball Head Coach

What’s next

South Carolina will play the winner of No. 3 TCU and No. 10 Virginia on March 30 (9 p.m. ET, ESPN) in the Elite Eight.

The takeaway

This story highlights the strong relationship between South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and her star player Raven Johnson, as well as the growing trend of women's sports brands creating unique apparel to celebrate individual athletes. It also showcases the Gamecocks' continued dominance in the NCAA tournament as they pursue another national championship.