SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Raven Johnson has been a Final Four mainstay during her five years at South Carolina and she’s seen it all.

The Gamecocks’ leader has been part of two national championships for Dawn Staley in 2022 and 2024, although she missed most of the first one as she tore her ACL two games into the season.

Now, she has helped the Gamecocks reach their sixth consecutive national semifinals — and seventh in nine years — by earning the Most Outstanding Player of the Sacramento 4 Regional after a 78-52 win over TCU in the Elite Eight on Monday night.

“There was a core group, they’ve all gone to the WNBA, which leaves Raven left to just play how she’s playing this year,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “Scoring when we’ve needed it, facilitating when it’s needed. She did some things on the way in this journey of the NCAA Tournament.”

Staley recalled earlier when sophomore Joyce Edwards was complaining about the rims in practice, Johnson went over to her and said “we only want positive thoughts.”

“I’ve been here, what, four, five — five times now. I think experience does matter,” Johnson said after the Sweet 16 win over Oklahoma. “And I think using my voice goes a long way. They listen.”

The veteran coach said Johnson didn’t know she was listening and saw the entire exchange.

“(Raven) is a winner and now people are seeing the type of player she is and she was capable of being,” Staley said.

Johnson is one of the best defensive players in the country, constantly guarding the opponents best player. In the two games in Sacramento, she averaged 14 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

“Raven’s been through a lot. She’s standing strong today and she’s performing at a high level, which we all know she was capable of playing at this level,” Staley said. “But she sacrificed a lot of her beginnings and actually some of her end of her South Carolina career by just being a giver, by just being a winner and making winning plays.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness