South Carolina coach Dawn Staley knew she would have a few holes to fill in the Gamecocks’ backcourt this offseason because of the graduations of Raven Johnson and Ta’Niya Latson.
Speaking to reporters moments after South Carolina’s loss in the national championship game to UCLA on Sunday in Phoenix, Arizona, Staley alluded to what was at the top of her shopping list in the transfer portal.
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“Obviously, we got to add some guard play,” the Gamecocks coach said. “Definitely some lead guard play, some more athleticism in the guard department.”
South Carolina is in the mix to land arguably the best guard available in the transfer portal. Three people familiar with the situation told USA TODAY Sports the Gamecocks will host Virginia transfer Kymora Johnson for a visit in the next few days.
More: South Carolina’s Dawn Staley is women’s basketball’s highest-paid coach
The bus driver for Virginia’s historic run to the Sweet 16 this season, Johnson is a three-time All-ACC selection and one of the best players in the portal. She averaged 19.5 points, 5.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this year, and stood alongside Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles and Liv McGill as the only players to average at least 19 points, five assists and four rebounds per game this season.
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Johnson also ranked sixth nationally in 3-pointers made per game this season with 3.1, and seventh in minutes played per-game.
A 5-foot-7 junior, Johnson announced her intention to enter the portal after the Cavaliers fired coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. Virginia has since hired Richmond’s Aaron Roussell as its next head coach. People familiar with Johnson’s recruitment told USA TODAY Sports that TCU and UCLA have also expressed an interest, but it’s possible Johnson could return to Charlottesville and complete her final season with Virginia.
But playing for Staley — the greatest player in Virginia’s history — could be enticing for Johnson, who grew up in Charlottesville. At UVA, Staley was a three-time All-American, a two-time National Player of the Year and led the Cavaliers to three Final Fours. In addition to winning a whole lot at South Carolina, Staley has developed and prepared countless players for the WNBA.
Johnson would fill a need for the Gamecocks since Johnson and Latson have exhausted their eligibility. South Carolina should have a stacked frontcourt with Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins returning from injury to team up with Joyce Edwards and Alicia Tournebize, but adding a veteran guard like Johnson could go a long way in shoring up the Gamecocks’ depth in the backcourt.
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As a high school prospect, Johnson was a McDonald’s All-American, a five-star recruit and ranked as the 24th best player in her class by ESPN in 2023.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina women’s basketball to host top transfer portal target, Kymora Johnson
