South Carolina is shooting 5% better from the 3-point line as a team this season. The Southeastern Conference's leader in 3-point percentage, junior guard Tessa Johnson, has been at the forefront of that efficiency jump, which has aided the Gamecocks' scoring success at all three levels.
Her contributions to South Carolina's program began long before she became the team's most consistent shooter. As a freshman off the bench, she averaged 6.6 points in 17.8 minutes per game as a freshman in the 2023-24 season.
In her first career start that year against Morgan State, she dropped 16 points on 7-9 shooting, including two makes from the 3-point line. She started one more game that season, the first round of the NCAA tournament against Presbyterian.
Two of Johnson's three best outings as a freshman came in the final three rounds of the NCAA tournament. In the Elite Eight against Oregon State, her 15 points helped South Carolina to a 70-58 victory that advanced the team to the Final Four.
South Carolina reached the national championship game that year, where the team defeated a Caitlin Clark-led Iowa team in the big game. It was Johnson who led the Gamecocks in scoring in the win. Putting up 19 points on 7-11 shooting off the bench, her point total was second to only Clark's 30.
Coming off the bench in all 37 games as a sophomore, Johnson averaged 8.4 points in 21.2 minutes per game. She dropped a career-high 22 points against Mississippi State that season, scoring 10+ points in 16 games that season. Her 43% rate from the 3-point line led the Gamecocks on the season.
With the loss of guard Te-Hina Paopao following the 2024-25 campaign, Johnson finally slid into the starting lineup full-time. Paopao was the team's leading 3-point scorer in back-to-back seasons.
Assuming Johnson finishes the season at her current pace, she'll join Paopao as the only two Gamecocks in the Staley era to finish a season over 45% from the 3-point line on 100+ attempts.
This season, she's emerged as the team's top shooting threat. Averaging a career-high 28.6 minutes per game, the increased role has consequently been followed with increased production. Her 13.1 points per game is the third most on the team this year, and her 45.5% 3-point percentage ranks first in the SEC.
The team's first ranked opponent in conference play this season came against No. 4 Texas. Johnson knocked down three triples, including a game-tying 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter after the Gamecocks had previously trailed all period.
Ten days later, South Carolina hosted No. 5 Vanderbilt. Johnson showed up once again, scoring 20 points on 7-12 shooting, which included four makes from beyond the arc. Her and senior guard Ta'Niya Latson combined for 41 in the game to top the Commodores by 29 points.
Hosting No. 19 Tennessee on Feb. 8, Johnson was a perfect 4-4 for 14 points, adding three rebounds and two assists in the team's 93-50 dismantling of the Lady Volunteers.
Arguably the most crucial performance of Johnson's junior season came in the team's road matchup with No. 7 LSU on Feb. 14. She hit three triples in the second quarter alone, aiding a 16-point first half consisting of four 3-pointers overall.
Finishing with 21 points on 8-13 shooting from the field, the Gamecocks earned their 18th straight win over the Tigers.
"(Tessa Johnson) was our offense, to be quite honest," head coach Dawn Staley said. "It's not on her fingers long before she's launching it, and we're very fortunate she was very efficient."
In the win over LSU, Johnson became the first South Carolina player since Aliyah Boston in the 2019-20 season to score 20+ points in back-to-back games versus AP top 10 ranked opponents.
"My teammates found me," Johnson said. "They did their job, and I was wide open."
With the help of Johnson's lethal 3-point ability, the Gamecocks can score efficiently at all three levels. With senior center Madina Okot averaging a double-double and sophomore forward Joyce Edwards averaging over 20 points per game, the addition of Johnson's 3-point prowess has helped South Carolina to the third best scoring offense in the nation.
"She's figured it out," Staley said. "It should be very comforting to her to just know that no basketball situation should frighten her."