Tessa Johnson

[Classof 66]

Her 19 points made her leading scorer in the Championship game. She came in after the SC starters faced a quick 10-0 deficit. Played 25 minutes, defense and floor game were awesome. You could make a strong case for MVP of national championship game. What a miss for us. She missed junior year but steadily showed more and more throughout her senior year. Congrats to her of course, awesome game.

 

[gopherdudepart2]

She was recruited by previous staff. Already committed to SC by time new staff was here. She plays for a great coaching staff, so not like Gophers didn't try, they did. South Carolina has played for four consecutive championships so that is hard to overlook. Tessa Johnson is a really good basketball player. Congrats to her on winning a National championship.

 

[Sparlimb]

We'll just have to hope she gets homesick.

 

[GopherMarroon]

South Carolina NIL is more than Minnesota can match. Can't blame her for choosing the champs plus NIL. It was nice that Minnesota was a finalist until her final choice. Also can't blame Paige Bueckers for going to UConn. Both are ultra-elites.

Minnesota could compete for players just below that level. The coaching system at Minnesota is excellent.

Makena Christian who committed to Gophers in 2025 is top 40.

2025 HoopGurlz Recruiting Rankings - Super 60 - ESPN

Get the inside scoop on the top ranked high school girls' basketball players. In-depth player briefings, film and more on ESPNHS.com.

www.espn.com

 

[MaxyJR1]

Not a miss. People have to understand that the top players in every state go to blue blood programs and rarely ever stay home. Others have pointed out that she was gone no matter who our coach was.

You have to get the best players that want to be Gophers, that you can find anywhere.

 

[LakevilleBro]

I keep hearing how school X can provide higher NIL money than MN. How does anyone know this? Is there proof of how much NIL money each school has access to?

 

[MaxyJR1]

I keep hearing how school X can provide higher NIL money than MN. How does anyone know this? Is there proof of how much NIL money each school has access to?

Nope there is no reporting other than if they want to volunteer the information. There is no advantage to volunteering that information.

All speculation and hearsay.

 

[Hoopsmom]

There is a lot of talk currently on social media about collectives, which can go after players during the season and not have to let the player’s current coach know they are talking to them. This talk is used in reference to Iriafen at Stanford, but also saying that it is happening all over the country.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Tessa Johnson feeling love from Minnesota all the way down in South Carolina

The freshman from St. Michael-Albertville had the championship game of her dreams in the NCAA women's final, leading the Gamecocks with 19 points.

www.startribune.com

La Velle E Neal:

After spending a couple of days with her family following the title game, Johnson is back at the Columbia, S.C., school and embracing the afterglow of her achievement. In Thursday's Zoom call, she wore a white pullover while sitting in a meeting room on campus and talked about how far she has come.

“Coming in as a freshman, I didn't know what to expect. But I knew that it was going to be a challenge, mentally and physically. ”
It was a year and a half ago when she committed to South Carolina, which some viewed as too big of a leap for her. But that quick release on her jumper, combined with confidence and attention to details allowed her to thrive on college basketball's biggest stage while helping the Gamecocks complete a 38-0 season.