South Carolina Star Teams Up with A’ja Wilson for EPIC Surprise That Has Everyone Talking
Raven Johnson just proved she’s not only a star on the court but also a champion in her community. The South Carolina senior guard, with help from WNBA superstar and Gamecock legend A’ja Wilson, delivered a late Christmas gift to her former high school team that left everyone speechless.
Johnson gifted the entire Westlake High School girls basketball team in Georgia with Wilson’s signature Nike sneaker—the A’One. And according to longtime Westlake head coach Hilda Hankerson, nothing like this has ever happened in the school’s history.
A First-Time Gesture
“We’ve never had anyone do anything like that as part of the alumni at Westlake High School,” Hankerson told The State, still in awe of the generous gesture.
The surprise came together when Johnson’s mother approached Hankerson after a game with an unexpected proposal. The coach’s initial reaction? Pure shock.
“(Raven’s mom) said, ‘Raven wants to get you all some shoes.’ I said, ‘What?'” Hankerson recalled. “I said, ‘You sure we’re gonna do this? Are you getting them for everybody?'”
Johnson didn’t just get shoes for a few players—she got A’Ones for the entire team, including Coach Hankerson herself. The sleek all-black sneakers with silver accents arrived in Nike boxes, and the coach joked she might frame her pair as a keepsake.
The Big Reveal
While the team knew the shoes were coming after their sizes were collected, the excitement was still off the charts when the packages arrived. Hankerson described her players as being “over the moon,” ripping open boxes in the hallway like it was Christmas morning.
“They were ripping the boxes open in the hallway,” Hankerson said. “The boys are screaming, ‘Wait a minute. What about us? Tell Raven, what about us?’… The guys were so funny when they watched them tear into the boxes. It was really, really nice. It was like Christmas morning.”
Johnson celebrated the moment on social media, writing: “What better way to give back to my high school alma mater than gifting them the A’Ones! Huge thanks to (A’ja Wilson) for helping me do something meaningful for them … Westlake, Westlake, Westlake!!!!”
A Legacy of Excellence
Johnson’s generosity is matched only by her legendary high school career. During her four years at Westlake, the team went an astonishing 110-4, won four state championships, and captured the Geico National Championship in 2021. Johnson was a three-time Atlanta Journal Constitution Player of the Year and earned Naismith Player of the Year and unanimous All-America honors her senior year.
For Hankerson, having a former player give back in such a meaningful way was deeply touching. She hopes Johnson’s gesture inspires young athletes in the community to follow in her footsteps.
“To have Raven do what she did, it was just a remarkable situation,” Hankerson said. “Nobody else has had the opportunity to receive any type of gift from a former athlete. She was the first in Westlake history to do something like that. So it was just really touching, especially for me too.”
Thriving at South Carolina
Johnson is enjoying a career-best season in her fifth and final year with the Gamecocks, averaging 10.2 points, 5.2 assists, and shooting 51.4% from the field. She’s also reunited with former Westlake teammate Ta’Niya Latson, who recently returned from injury and is South Carolina’s second-leading scorer with 16.3 points per game.
Hankerson has loved watching her two former stars together again at the college level.
“We are just over the moon watching it,” Hankerson said. “They bounce off of each other and read each other so well, especially in that transition game. They are something special to watch.”
Raven Johnson’s gift to Westlake is more than just sneakers—it’s a reminder that greatness isn’t just measured by wins and championships, but by how you give back to those who helped you get there.
