The Indiana Fever shocked their fans during the WNBA Draft by selecting South Carolina star Raven Johnson, that's for sure.
Johnson is undoubtedly an impressive prospect. The All-American averaged 9.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.5 steals per game during her final season at South Carolina. So why were fans confused by the pick? Well, she's got some history with Caitlin Clark.
When Iowa was facing South Carolina in the the Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Clark waved off Johnson as she was open for a 3-pointer. That moment led to Johnson receiving a ton of scrutiny online.
“That’s one reason why I hate the internet now. I got bashed, I got bullied. I got called all these things that I wasn’t,” Johnson said. “I wanted to quit basketball at that time and go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself. I just leaned on God, I had some wonderful teammates and they helped me find that light and it put some much fuel to the fire for me to go back for the next year and we went undefeated and met that team again and we beat them.”
© Brad Penner-Imagn Images.
Some Indiana fans are convinced Clark and Johnson will clash heads during the 2026 season.
Fever star Aliyah Boston, however, squashed all the rumors about Clark and Johnson during the latest episode of her "Post Moves" podcast.
"It's so funny, the fans always have more beef than the players actually do," Boston said, via Heavy.com. "So it’s always entertaining, you read all this stuff, and fans are hating on one person, hating on another. And then you’re playing with that said person. And so I think it’s going to be fine. Everyone has their thoughts, but when you come in, and you’re in the gym and you’re ready to hoop, that’s literally all it is."
Boston was teammates with Johnson at South Carolina before joining forces with Clark in Indiana. It's fair to say she's more qualified than anyone to speak on this topic.
Raven Johnson is excited about joining the Fever.
After being selected by the Fever with the 10th overall pick, Johnson made it clear that she's amped up about this opportunity.
“You’re talking about a team that could possibly win the championship,” Johnson said. “I think it’s crazy. They have a lot of vets I could learn from and they’re winners. Everybody on that team likes to win. I think that’s what makes that team special. So to go to a program like that, that has the same mentality as me of winning is phenomenal.”
Johnson should have the chance to earn minutes in Indiana's backcourt as long as she's playing great defense. That shouldn't be an issue considering she's the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year .
The Fever made the WNBA semifinals last season despite losing Caitlin Clark to injury. If their All-Star guard is healthy, the sky is the limit for this roster.
