Inspired by Dawn Staley, Kymora Johnson now leads Virginia into Sweet 16
Kymora Johnson's mother loved watching Dawn Staley growing up. The Cavaliers could meet the Gamecocks in the Elite Eight.
SACRAMENTO, CA – Jessica Thomas-Johnson’s love for Virginia women's basketball runs in her blood. While she was growing up in Charlottesville, Virginia, her grandfather, James Shifflett, often took her to watch the Cavaliers play in University Hall. Thomas-Johnson quickly came to admire a Cavaliers point guard named Dawn Staley − for her play but even more for her character.
Thomas-Johnson later held that up as a standard for her own children, including her daughter, Kymora. Now, Kymora Johnson is the point guard leading the way for Virginia in the Women’s NCAA Tournament. The No.
10-seeded Cavaliers face off against No. 3 TCU on March 28. Virginia upset No.
2 Iowa in a double-overtime thriller to become the first double-digit seed to advance to the Sweet 16 since 2022. The Cavaliers are also the first First Four team to make it this far. “Seeing her wear that jersey with that name across the chest is very symbolic for me,” Thomas-Johnson said of her daughter, who is averaging 24.