SACRAMENTO, CA — The shirt showed up on March 23 draped over South Carolina forward Chloe Kitts’ shoulders. It did not demand attention, wasn’t part of the uniform, but it stood out, enough for fans to notice, laugh and, eventually, join in.
Now, it’s everywhere.
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It’s likely to make an appearance on March 28, when No. 1 South Carolina takes the floor against No. 4 Oklahoma at the Golden 1 Center for their Sweet 16 matchup.
The “Who can guard Tessa?” T-shirt began as a meme of LSU head coach Kim Mulkey yelling the question during a timeout in the Tigers’ Feb. 14 game against South Carolina.
Gamecocks junior guard Tessa Johnson put up 21 points and four 3s in the game, a 79-72 South Carolina win.
What started as a small moment became a team motto, passed from player to player. The shirt has created a statement on the Gamecocks women’s basketball culture, one built as much on connection as it is competition.
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“I feel like Chloe was wearing it to support me,” Johnson said. “And that just shows a little bit of support that we all bring to each other.”
That support, she explained, runs through the entire program.
“It’s everyone,” Johnson said. “You can see it on the bench. You can see even the coaching staff or just our staff in general, it’s just like a family kind of culture.”
The shirt reflects just that, serving as encouragement, an inside joke and something only this group could turn into a movement.
“Everybody’s wearing that shirt. I think it’s awesome,” said senior Ta’Niya Latson. “I’m going to ask her for a shirt.”As the attention grows, so does the shirt’s meaning.
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“It’s just a national thing at this point,” Latson said. “Everybody’s buying T-shirts, and they’re so happy for her. So I’m happy for her.”
Erin Kirby is a student in the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tessa Johnson has her own T-shirt. Every South Carolina women’s fan wants one
