'Now it's time for the repeat tour': South Carolina WBB greeted with a hero's welcome in return to Columbia
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Raven Johnson only stood at the podium for roughly seven seconds. But it was more than enough time for her to say what she wanted to say.
“The revenge tour is over. Now it’s time for the repeat tour,” Johnson said with a big smile on her face.
For the third time in program history, South Carolina women’s basketball is coming home with a national championship trophy. The Gamecocks defeated Iowa 87-75 on Sunday in the title game.
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Less than 24 hours after the win, the team returned to a sea of garnet and black back home. A welcome home celebration was held at Colonial Life Arena on Monday afternoon. And thousands of FAMs came to pack out about half of the arena.
“It is an incredible honor to come back to this, to come back to you,” head coach Dawn Staley said, addressing the crowd. “It’s so cool to come back to a place in which we’ve had so much success.”
Staley continued to speak at the podium, noting that USC classes were canceled for the rest of the day for students. She said it means that the administration takes “winning and success very, very seriously.”
“We hope that this is an annual day off,” Staley said, smirking with her tongue sticking out.
For Staley, this season was different than most. Gone were the Freshies, who had made a huge impact on women’s basketball at South Carolina for the last four years. It was going to be a daunting task to try and replicate what the Gamecocks had done in recent time, especially with a new-look group.
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But somehow, someway, they made it work and finished a remarkable 38-0 to win it all. South Carolina became just the tenth team in women’s basketball history to finish a season undefeated.
“I just have to give it up to our players who made a commitment to each other. To probably do something that was totally different than any other team that I coached,” Staley said. “They held each other accountable, they encouraged each other. What you saw them be able to do, all of them, each and every one of them, they took their turn on making an impact on any given night for our team to be successful. And they did it in a way in which they lifted up each other. That is truly, truly an organic chemistry that you couldn’t pay real money to produce.”
After some more celebrating, the team walked off the stage with Staley leading the way hoisting the championship trophy. Players, coaches and staff walked around to give high-fives to the FAMs that waited hours for their arrival.
After that, as people made their way out, FAMs jumped in the fountain next to the A’ja Wilson statue at the front of the arena. It’s safe to say the party has only just begun in Columbia.
