Virginia's Kymora Johnson was once sidelined for being a girl. Now she's starring in March Madness.

Johnson, who's fueling Virginia's Cinderella run, played on a boy's youth team that got DQ'd for having a girl on the roster. Her mother called it a 'turning point.'

SACRAMENTO -- Almost eleven years before fueling Virginia's Cinderella run in March Madness, Kymora Johnson had a "turning point." Johnson, as a 10-year-old, was playing on a boy's team. That youth basketball team was disqualified from a tournament after reaching the championship game because Johnson, a girl, was on the roster. The story made national headlines, sparked outrage and eventually got Johnson's team invited to a New York Liberty game at Madison Square Garden.

But the disqualification was a devastating feeling. One that sparked something in Johnson.

"I didn't think at the time it would impact her on a long-term basis," her mother, Jessica Thomas-Johnson, told CBS Sports this week. "But when she got to high school and had to do some writing assignments, it started to become apparent that that experience was a turning point for her."

Fast forward to March 2026, and Johnson's team is again advancing in a tournament. This time, her team is allowed to be there -- but not many people expected Virginia to get this far. Johnson has led the 10th-seeded Cavaliers to the Sweet 16, where they'll face No. 3 TCU on Saturday night in Sacramento. UVA is the first team ever to go from the First Four all the way to the Sweet 16. Johnson, the team's leader in points, assists and steals, has scored 73 points in three NCAA Tournament games.

In 2015, Virginia guard Kymora Johnson's youth basketball team was disqualified from a championship game because she was a girl playing in a boys’ team. That experience sparked something in her: "The most important thing for me was to leave a legacy behind." pic.twitter.com/jg6l4wvGGS

— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) March 27, 2026

Johnson's youth team, the Charlottesville Cavaliers, was celebrating a victory when they were informed of the disqualification by the National Travel Basketball Association (NTBA). 

At first, they thought it was a prank. The mood completely shifted when reality hit. Johnson was not a star player on the team, nor did she play a lot of minutes. But having a girl on the roster was enough to disqualify the whole team. 

"Mo was devastated. She was so ashamed," Thomas-Johnson recounted. "They were losing a really big opportunity. Mo was just really afraid of, 'How are they going to feel?' Because this was because of her. To be quite honest, I'm sure I felt some of that, like, 'Oh my gosh, are these parents going to hate us because we are the cause of this.' But we never felt any of that. They were 100% behind her."

One of those youth teammates was Chance Mallory, who now plays for the Virginia men's basketball team. He said the group was disappointed in the decision, especially because Kymora had always been just another teammate and friend. Her first experience playing with boys was around five or six years old, when she joined a team coached by Mallory's dad.

"It was no different because we all treated her the same," Mallory said. "We didn't really see any problem with it. It wasn't really like a big change, nobody was really distracted about it. We just played together."

When her 2015 team was disqualified before the title game, Johnson volunteered to go sit in the stands so her team could compete. However, the organization was not going to revert its decision. Even if the NTBA had, Johnson's teammates did not want to play without her. 

"Honestly, I don't think at that age I knew the importance of it, or how big of a deal it was that I was getting kicked out of a tournament for being a girl," Johnson said. "But looking back at it, it just means the world that I had young guys that were standing behind one girl who didn't even play that much on their team, who obviously didn't have a large impact, but simply was a girl. Definitely means a lot."

Getting to Sacramento this week has taken everything and then some. Johnson, a junior, has played a total of 133 minutes in the NCAA Tournament -- including all 50 minutes of the Cavaliers' double-overtime upset win against Iowa in the second round. 

"It's crazy. I'm tired playing 25, so I can't imagine playing 50 and doing what she is doing," Mallory said. "Putting up those stats, it's definitely impressive."

The Cavaliers are a Cinderella story, but for Johnson's mom, this is business as usual.

"I wish I could tell you that I'm surprised, but I'm really not," she said. "It's funny to me to hear people talk about '50 minutes' and what a big deal that is. That does not at all feel like a big deal to her or to me. That is just who she is. Her endurance in all things, not just in the game but in everything that she does.

"...She has always led with grace and humility. I have always said since she was little that she is not incredible at basketball, she is an incredible human and that's part of the reason that she is good at basketball."

Virginia has its sights set on the program's first Elite Eight appearance since 1996, but these players have already gotten the opportunity to show the world who they really are. 

"It's cool to see that they are getting the views they deserve," Mallory said. "Kymora is getting the recognition that she deserves, and the whole team in general."

Deserved but not surprising, according to Thomas-Johnson, who has gone to every single game her daughter has ever played. The team motto has been "we know," meaning they know what they are capable of achieving, even if others count them out. This is exactly where they belong.

"I'm so incredibly proud of her," Thomas-Johnson said. "And not because of the places that she has gotten to, but because of how she's gotten there. She's never, ever sold her soul or been willing to sacrifice what she feels is right in her heart. She has always done things the right way and led with humility and grace. There have been so many times that I've sat back in awe of her."