Virginia’s Kymora Johnson joins Dawn Staley for special achievement after explosive performance vs Pittsburgh Panthers

Sophomore guard Kymora Johnson embroidered her name alongside Dawn Staley after Sunday's 80-67 win against the Pittsburgh Panthers. She finished the contest with 20 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks and a steal for her first career triple-double.

The achievement makes Johnson the only Virginia player to do so since the 2024 NCAA championship coach's playing days. Staley garnered two such stat lines while representing the Cavaliers from 1989 to 1992. Her last triple-double was in 1991.

Johnson's historic night resulted from her ability to adapt. She missed her first four shots before scoring her first points of the game later in the first quarter. She missed six more shots and committed three turnovers before sinking her next field goal.

Johnson shot just 5-of-20 (2-of-9 from the 3-point line). However, she remained active on offense, going 8-of-8 from the free throw line, a season-best. The guard also constantly looked out for open teammates, dishing nine dimes until her second successful field goal.

Talking about being in the same category as Dawn Staley in a sideline interview, Johnson said that coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton dreamed about her performance:

"Yesterday at shoot around coach Mox is like, 'I had a dream and we need to come up,' and she was like 27/10/10 or something, triple-double," Johnson said. "She dreamed that I was gonna have a triple-double"

Aiding Johnson was senior forward Latasha Lattimore, who posted a career-high 30-point and 11-rebound performance on 7-of-15 shooting. The win helped Virginia improve to 8-7 in its all-time series with Pittsburgh Panthers.

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Dawn Staley was a leader at Virginia

Dawn Staley made a name for her flashy and streetball-like style on the offense and being a dedicated defensive player for Virginia. She churned out her best stats in her freshman year, averaging 18.5 points per game.

However, she then transitioned into a true leader, focusing on team-oriented aspects of her game. She led the Virginia Cavaliers to the NCAA tournament every year, reaching three Final Fours and one championship game. Individually, she became a better player each year.

Dawn Staley averaged career-highs of 6.7 rebounds in her sophomore year, 6.9 assists, 3.9 steals in her junior year and 48.4% shooting in the final stretch. She also led the ACC in steals and assists in the last two campaigns.