Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 12th straight time on Monday, defeating the USC Trojans in a blowout 101-61 victory.
Now, ahead of their game against the Oklahoma Sooners, the Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year finalists have been announced this week. Surprisingly, Staley, who has won the award four times, including three straight from 2022–24, was not among them.
Although she was named a semifinalist earlier this month, she did not make the final cut of four coaches announced this week. Now reporters are confirming a second South Carolina snub.
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The four Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year finalists announced by the Naismith Trophy account on Wednesday are Lauren Betts, Jordan Harrison, Hannah Hidalgo, and Sarah Strong. Johnson got snubbed despite being the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
Senior guard Raven Johnson did not make the list either, and hoops fans are not taking it lightly.
"Hannah's award and Raven not being here is a disgrace," one fan wrote.
Another bluntly added, "SEC Defensive Player of the Year Raven Johnson is not a finalist for Naismith DPOY."
A third claimed, "Not including the Defensive Player of the Year from the most physical, toughest conference in the country is certainly a choice. But we know who should be on this list too."
The fourth fan noted, "This list is irrelevant without Raven Johnson. What a clown show you've become."
A random X user penned, "Ya'll did Raven wrong smh."
However, the frustration makes sense from every angle. Johnson takes the toughest defensive assignment every night and averages 1.6 steals. She ranks second in the nation in defensive impact at 10.9 points per 100 possessions and, per Synergy Sports data
She also ranks fourth nationally with a 3.41 assist-to-turnover ratio, a testament to her disciplined play on both ends. She doesn’t gamble much on defense and consistently shuts down perimeter players.
And most importantly, she is one of the best players in the No. 1 Gamecocks. So, her snub led to endless chatter online.
