South Carolina uses Johnson-Latson friendship in Final Four run

by Alex Swift, Cronkite News
April 4, 2026

PHOENIX – Almost five years ago to the day, Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson captured the GEICO Nationals championship as high school teammates. Combining for 48 points in a 70-50 win as guards for Atlanta’s Westlake, the two future college superstars showed off their skills.

“I always think of the national championship that we won,” Johnson said Saturday. “I remember we played a really good team. Ta’Niya and I were feeding off each other, we were throwing lobs to each other.”

After securing the title in the last high school game they would play together, the emotions finally hit them, reacting in the only way they saw fit.

They cried.

“(We were) telling each other how much we feed off each other, what our connection is,” Johnson said. “Ta’Niya makes me a better version of myself. She pushes me to a point where I don’t even know I can go.”

Now, Latson and Johnson have the opportunity to do it again, this time around in a very different situation. 

Instead of the high school stage in 2021, the two will suit up for South Carolina as it takes on UCLA in the 2026 national championship Sunday in Mortgage Matchup Arena. 

Although their college journeys will end at the same spot, it did not start that way.

After winning the title at Westlake as a senior, Johnson went off to South Carolina, where she spent five seasons – she was sidelined with an injury her first year – and advanced to the Final Four the subsequent four seasons, cutting down the nets in 2023-24.

The path was not as straight forward for Latson. She was a junior when she dropped 31 for Westlake in the national title game. For her senior year of high school, she opted to transfer to American Heritage in Plantation, Florida, the same state in which she spent her first two years of high school. 

Winning the state title as a senior, she stayed in-state to start her college career. Spending her first three years at Florida State, Latson never made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament as a Seminoles player. National glory on her mind, she opted to transfer, and where better than to the school that not only had her high school teammate, but was in the midst of advancing to five consecutive Final Fours. 

Forty minutes from national champion title holder, Latson believes the move paid off.

“I was really confident in coming to South Carolina,” Latson said. “I still am. I wouldn’t change anything. I would 100% do it again. My role obviously changed, but I didn’t let that affect me. At the end of the day, I knew why I came here. It was to play in the national championship and win it.”

Although the Gamecocks sit one win away from winning their second national title in three years, the path to get here was not clear.

Despite South Carolina only picking up three losses before the tournament, that mark doesn’t necessarily meet the incredibly high standards of the program.

However, Latson feels that the losses gave necessary lessons that led the Gamecocks to the title game.

“Through the adversity and everything that we went through, through the highs, through the lows, we stayed together,” Latson said. “We got closer. I feel like every loss we had this season, it led us up to this moment.”

While South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has brought eight teams to the Final Four, she still sees the differences in each one. She highlighted her guards and their journeys as a primary difference from this year’s team.

“If I had to give (the year) a title, it would be sacrifice,” Staley said. “Sacrifice for players like Ta’Niya Latson. Sacrifice for Raven, us not having her in the future.”

The player that has been highlighted most in emphasizing team identity is Johnson, whose previous years in Columbia has led up to 2025-26, where the senior has fully embraced her role as a leader.

One of the most important parts of the team’s identity is positivity. Staley pointed to Johnson’s influence on the team’s mindset as heavily impactful.

“There’s winning behaviors,” Staley said. “Raven during this time only wants to hear and see things that are only going to help us. If she hears something or sees something that doesn’t fit that, she addresses it, which is the coolest.”

One moment that put Johnson’s leadership skills on blast happened near the end of Friday’s Final Four win against UConn. During Staley’s spat with Huskies coach Geno Auriemma, which picked up heavy attention online, Johnson recognized an opportunity to make a positive impact while Staley was animated. 

Johnson gave Staley a high five.

While it wasn’t a grand gesture, it was still important. 

“It’s classic Raven,” Staley said. “She makes me laugh even in the most difficult situations because she’s so innocent. She is a really kindhearted young lady. Sometimes you need people around you to put things in perspective. It truly was calming for her to do that.”

As the Gamecocks sit on the precipice of achieving a fourth all-time national title, Johnson, who cut down the nets twice before, remains a crucial part of the team’s latest journey.

While value on the court is undeniable, her connection to her coach is a unique bond that brought South Carolina to Phoenix.

This connection was highlighted during Saturday’s press conference ahead of Sunday’s championship game. 

While Johnson sat, taking questions from the media, Staley quietly stood in the back, watching her star player talk. Smiling like a proud parent, she paid attention when a reporter asked Johnson a question about staying motivated through her third national championship.

“I mean, Coach Staley, in practice,” Johnson said, then paused.

Johnson had seen Staley in the room earlier, but took the time to make eye contact with her coach. While no words were exchanged and the delay lasted no longer than five seconds, the small looks between the two filled the room with an understanding of their relationship.

Getting a slight green light from her coach, Johnson cut short her answer for one that had more honesty.

“I want to win, honestly,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to just win for myself, I want to win for my teammates, for Coach Staley, I want to win for South Carolina. I want to win for the people … in front of us. I just want to win.”

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That’s So Raven: Johnson-Latson connection driving force for S. Carolina</p> <p>Alex Swift, Cronkite News<br /> April 4, 2026</p> <p>PHOENIX – Almost five years ago to the day, Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson captured the GEICO Nationals championship as high school teammates. Combining for 48 points in a 70-50 win as guards for Atlanta’s Westlake, the two future college superstars showed off their skills.</p> <p>“I always think of the national championship that we won,” Johnson said Saturday. “I remember we played a really good team. Ta’Niya and I were feeding off each other, we were throwing lobs to each other.”</p> <p>After securing the title in the last high school game they would play together, the emotions finally hit them, reacting in the only way they saw fit.</p> <p>They cried.</p> <p>“(We were) telling each other how much we feed off each other, what our connection is,” Johnson said. “Ta’Niya makes me a better version of myself. She pushes me to a point where I don’t even know I can go.”</p> <p>Now, Latson and Johnson have the opportunity to do it again, this time around in a very different situation. </p> <p>Instead of the high school stage in 2021, the two will suit up for South Carolina as it takes on UCLA in the 2026 national championship Sunday in Mortgage Matchup Arena. </p> <p>Although their college journeys will end at the same spot, it did not start that way.</p> <p>After winning the title at Westlake as a senior, Johnson went off to South Carolina, where she spent five seasons – she was sidelined with an injury her first year – and advanced to the Final Four the subsequent four seasons, cutting down the nets in 2023-24.</p> <p>The path was not as straight forward for Latson. She was a junior when she dropped 31 for Westlake in the national title game. For her senior year of high school, she opted to transfer to American Heritage in Plantation, Florida, the same state in which she spent her first two years of high school. </p> <p>Winning the state title as a senior, she stayed in-state to start her college career. Spending her first three years at Florida State, Latson never made it past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament as a Seminoles player. National glory on her mind, she opted to transfer, and where better than to the school that not only had her high school teammate, but was in the midst of advancing to five consecutive Final Fours. </p> <p>Forty minutes from national champion title holder, Latson believes the move paid off.</p> <p>“I was really confident in coming to South Carolina,” Latson said. “I still am. I wouldn’t change anything. I would 100% do it again. My role obviously changed, but I didn’t let that affect me. At the end of the day, I knew why I came here. It was to play in the national championship and win it.”</p> <p>Although the Gamecocks sit one win away from winning their second national title in three years, the path to get here was not clear.</p> <p>Despite South Carolina only picking up three losses before the tournament, that mark doesn’t necessarily meet the incredibly high standards of the program.</p> <p>However, Latson feels that the losses gave necessary lessons that led the Gamecocks to the title game.</p> <p>“Through the adversity and everything that we went through, through the highs, through the lows, we stayed together,” Latson said. “We got closer. I feel like every loss we had this season, it led us up to this moment.”</p> <p>While South Carolina coach Dawn Staley has brought eight teams to the Final Four, she still sees the differences in each one. She highlighted her guards and their journeys as a primary difference from this year’s team.</p> <p>“If I had to give (the year) a title, it would be sacrifice,” Staley said. “Sacrifice for players like Ta’Niya Latson. Sacrifice for Raven, us not having her in the future.”</p> <p>The player that has been highlighted most in emphasizing team identity is Johnson, whose previous years in Columbia has led up to 2025-26, where the senior has fully embraced her role as a leader.</p> <p>One of the most important parts of the team’s identity is positivity. Staley pointed to Johnson’s influence on the team’s mindset as heavily impactful.</p> <p>“There’s winning behaviors,” Staley said. “Raven during this time only wants to hear and see things that are only going to help us. If she hears something or sees something that doesn’t fit that, she addresses it, which is the coolest.”</p> <p>One moment that put Johnson’s leadership skills on blast happened near the end of Friday’s Final Four win against UConn. During Staley’s spat with Huskies coach Geno Auriemma, which picked up heavy attention online, Johnson recognized an opportunity to make a positive impact while Staley was animated. </p> <p>Johnson gave Staley a high five.</p> <p>While it wasn’t a grand gesture, it was still important. </p> <p>“It’s classic Raven,” Staley said. “She makes me laugh even in the most difficult situations because she’s so innocent. She is a really kindhearted young lady. Sometimes you need people around you to put things in perspective. It truly was calming for her to do that.”</p> <p>As the Gamecocks sit on the precipice of achieving a fourth all-time national title, Johnson, who cut down the nets twice before, remains a crucial part of the team’s latest journey.</p> <p>While value on the court is undeniable, her connection to her coach is a unique bond that brought South Carolina to Phoenix.</p> <p>This connection was highlighted during Saturday’s press conference ahead of Sunday’s championship game. </p> <p>While Johnson sat, taking questions from the media, Staley quietly stood in the back, watching her star player talk. Smiling like a proud parent, she paid attention when a reporter asked Johnson a question about staying motivated through her third national championship.</p> <p>“I mean, Coach Staley, in practice,” Johnson said, then paused.</p> <p>Johnson had seen Staley in the room earlier, but took the time to make eye contact with her coach. While no words were exchanged and the delay lasted no longer than five seconds, the small looks between the two filled the room with an understanding of their relationship.</p> <p>Getting a slight green light from her coach, Johnson cut short her answer for one that had more honesty.</p> <p>“I want to win, honestly,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to just win for myself, I want to win for my teammates, for Coach Staley, I want to win for South Carolina. I want to win for the people … in front of us. I just want to win.”</p> <p>This article first appeared on Cronkite News and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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