Top Minnesota girls' basketball recruit Tessa Johnson picks South Carolina
Tessa Johnson, the No. 1 recruit in Minnesota's Class of 2023, announced Wednesday morning that she's committed to the national champion South Carolina Gamecocks. She chose South Carolina over Minnesota and Baylor.
"Minnesota is the gift that keeps on giving," tweeted South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, who won the national title inside Target Center in Minneapolis last season. She also helped present Gophers coach Lindsay Whalen at the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in September.
Johnson, a 5'10'' guard who averaged 23.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game as a junior, plays at St. Michael-Albertville High School, located just northwest of the Twin Cities. ESPN ranks her No. 25 nationally in the Class of 2023.
Sunaja Agara of Hopkins is ranked 37th by ESPN and her teammate Taylor Woodson is ranked 59th. Agara is committed to Stanford and Woodson is headed to Michigan. Chaska's Kennedy Sanders, checking in at No. 73, is going to Colorado.
Olivia Olson of Benilde-St. Margaret's is 7th-ranked nationally in the Class of 2024. She recently announced her commitment to Michigan. Alivia McGill of Hopkins is ranked 14th in the Class of 2024. She is undecided.
Last year, the Gophers landed three ESPN 100 recruits from Minnesota: Amaya Battle (Hopkins), Mara Braun (Wayzata) and Mallory Heyer (Chaska).
