South Carolina basketball player shares message of overcoming adversity at Omaha girls conference
"Don't let anyone tell you who you are and who you can be," South Carolina women's basketball player Raven Johnson told a room of more than 300 girls in Omaha on Saturday.
Johnson shared a message of overcoming adversity and breaking stereotypes at the first-ever All Girls Matter, Unity in Sisterhood EmpowHERment Conference for girls between the ages of 9 and 18, which was held at the College of St. Mary.
The conference was organized by Girls Inc. Omaha in partnership with America's Big Sister Foundation, an organization founded by Tragil Wade-Johnson, sister of retired NBA player Dwayne Johnson.
In a conversation with Duchesne Academy student Am'Agyn Spencer, Johnson talked about her recovery from a season-ending knee injury during her second game playing for the Gamecocks.
Johnson also discussed the viral moment during the 2023 Final Four between South Carolina and Iowa when Caitlin Clark "waved off" Johnson, signaling she wasn't worried about Johnson scoring as she left her unguarded. Iowa went on to win that game.
Then in the 2024 NCAA tournament, South Carolina went on to beat Iowa in the championship game with Johnson's help, which she referred to at the time as her "revenge tour."
Speaking at Saturday's conference, Johnson said she was actually glad she went through that moment with Clark, as it motivated her to grow mentally and physically.
"I feel like everybody needs that," she said. "You need something like that to go through in your life because it's like a challenge."
Tahnee Markussen, the honorary chairperson of the conference, said she thinks Johnson was able to share an important message about resilience with the girls.
"Talking about what it is to show up for a team, even in those kind of adverse situations, showing up for friends in adverse situations and showing up for yourself in adverse situations," she said.
The conference included speeches from Wade-Johnson and Girls Inc. of Omaha Executive Director Candias Jones, a sisterhood panel and hands-on activities.
Nine girls were seated at each table along with an adult table leader who helped lead conversation between speakers.
America's Big Sister Foundation holds similar conferences in cities across the country, and Markussen said it made sense to partner with the foundation to bring the conference to Omaha.
Markussen said she thought the conference was an important way to show girls how important community is.
"Our girls need a foundation of women that know they support them," she said.
Markussen said the women who came together to plan the conference was itself a show of support for the girls who attended.
"Putting on an event for them to create community, create friendships, meet people that are supportive of them and people that they can model their lives after, that's all important," she said.
News Reporter
