Kim Mulkey’s Tessa Johnson Quote Sparks South Carolina Fan Shirt Trend

South Carolina guard Tessa Johnson became the focus of a viral moment after a Feb. 14 game in Sacramento. LSU coach Kim Mulkey yelled “Who can guard Tessa?” after Johnson drilled four early 3-pointers. The clip spread on social media and inspired fans to wear shirts with the quote.

How the clip turned into a fashion trend

Fans showed up to games in shirts bearing the phrase. Some shirts were a single color with text. Others included a photo of Johnson, even a baby picture used on one bench shirt.

Chloe Kitts, who tore her ACL in October, was seen wearing a version of the shirt on the bench. The baby photo came from a team media request for youth pictures.

Player and team reaction

Johnson expressed appreciation for the visible support. She said the shirts and bench presence boost team confidence.

The team atmosphere remains tight. Johnson credited teammates, coaches and staff for creating a family-like culture.

Merch, NIL and fundraising

Joe Shepard, who handles NIL work for the Gamecocks, posted a link to the shirts on social media. The merchandise is produced by Athletes Thread, a company that makes custom merch to route NIL funds to college athletes.

Each shirt is listed at $44. Proceeds are directed to support Johnson’s NIL account, according to the listing.

Tournament background and player stats

The Gamecocks entered the Sweet 16 as the No. 1 seed with a 33-3 record. They were scheduled to face No. 4 Oklahoma, 26-7, on March 28 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Johnson was in her third Women’s NCAA Tournament. She has reached the title game each year since joining South Carolina. Dawn Staley was coaching her 12th straight Sweet 16 and pursuing a sixth straight trip to the Elite Eight.

Johnson ranked seventh nationally in 3-point percentage at 44.5 percent, and she led the SEC. She scored 10 points in the second-round 101-61 win over Southern Cal. She also recorded her first career double-double in the first-round win over Southern.

Why the quote stuck

The combination of a bold sideline line from Kim Mulkey and Johnson’s hot shooting helped the quote resonate. Fans adopted the phrase into a fan shirt trend. The shirts reinforced support and gave fans a visible way to back Johnson and South Carolina.

This story was reported by Lulu Kesin, who covers South Carolina athletics for Filmogaz.com.