Is Raven Johnson going to the WNBA in 2024? Taking a closer look at the South Carolina guard's draft eligibility

5-foot-9 sophomore Raven Johnson might be still young, but she was the main point of conversation during South Carolina`s national title game against Iowa. The Atlanta, GA native was critical in helping slow down Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark, while also making some timely baskets of her own to push the Gamecocks ahead.

For Johnson, the game held a sense of redemption who was on the other end of Clark`s scoring barrage last year when Iowa defeated South Carolina 77-73 to advance to the title game. But this is 2024, the year of the Gamecocks, and people are now wondering whether the guard will be making the leap to the WNBA soon.

Is Raven Johnson going to the WNBA in 2024?

Raven Johnson won't be heading to the WBNA in 2024. She remains ineligible to declare for the WNBA Draft per the league`s eligibility rules, as she is still a sophomore.

According to the league, a player must be 22 years old in the calendar year of the specific draft to be eligible (via Yahoo Sports). The birthday cutoff is set for December 31, 2002, and Johnson was born on March 4, 2003. So she still has time before she can officially declare for the pros.

Most notably, even if a women`s college basketball player is eligible to be drafted, it`s not a surefire thing that they'll declare. Most of them choose to stay until their senior years before they try their hand at the WNBA Draft. And it wouldn't be too surprising if Raven Johnson does the same down the line.

For now, she has at least an entire season or more of college basketball ahead of her. And with Gamecocks star Kamilla Cardoso now moving on, head coach Dawn Staley will need young blood to keep buoying her squad up and try for a repeat championship next year.

Raven Johnson in the national championship

Last year was the start of true nationwide recognition for Johnson, even if South Carolina lost to Iowa. But this year was the time she came into her own, especially because of her incredible defense against Caitlin Clark.

Initially, South Carolina was getting beat by the Iowa star when she was matched up against Bree Hall. But Staley switched to Johnson as Clark`s primary defender, and she came through. She forced the Hawkeyes' leading scorer into shooting just 5-20 from the field for 12 points, as well as making her commit five turnovers (via ESPN).

Raven Johnson`s bulldog-like defensive mentality was lauded by the college hoops world, including Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.