- Virginia was barely in the tournament. Like teary-eyed waiting for their name in. Kymora Johnson turned that into a 50-minute masterclass in an upset win over Iowa, with no subs, no breaks, just buckets. From “are we even in?” to “we’re still dancing” is some serious March magic.
- At 10 years old, Kymora was playing on a boys team because there wasn’t a girls team in her area, and they got disqualified for it mid-tournament. The moment went viral, and her team showed up in shirts that read “Girls don’t sit on the bench.” She was devastated at the time, but clearly not discouraged. Now she’s leading the Cavaliers on one of the biggest runs in the tournament. She was never meant to sit.
- Her and her mom have the cutest (and toughest) gameday ritual. Kymora has “No matter where” tattooed on her arm, and her mom has “No matter what.” Before games, they find each other in the crowd and hold their arms out to each other. I’m not crying, you are.
- With backing from Serena Williams’ husband and UVA alum Alexis Ohanian helping elevate the program, Kymora delivered, taking UVA from First Four to Sweet 16 (first time since 2000 👀). Just a local girl, putting her city back on the map.
- She’s been *that girl* all season. First Team All-ACC, nearly 20 PPG, program record from three, and casually dropped 41 in a game. When she says “this is what I came to Virginia to do,” she means it.