Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White saw something special in Raven Johnson. The Fever used the 10th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to select the 5-foot-8 guard out of South Carolina.
White viewed Johnson as ready for the professional level and an immediate contributor off the bench. Beyond her two national championships with the Gamecocks, the veteran coach liked the 23-year-old's motor.
"I think first and foremost, she's an elite defender. Her energy is outstanding," White said of Johnson on Women's Sports Now. "She has multiple levels of effort on the defensive end of the floor. She gets a lot of deflections and steals. She really can spearhead us on that end of the floor."
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The arrival of Johnson gives the Fever another dependable ball-handler. She provides critical relief when Caitlin Clark takes a breather.
The rookie wasted no time proving she belongs. Johnson averaged 6.0 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds across three preseason games. She also stepped up during a minor injury scare involving Clark in the preseason. White loved what she saw and is eager to work Johnson into the rotation when the season tips off Saturday.
"The other thing I love offensively is she's a kick-ahead guard," White said. "She's an outstanding defensive rebounder. She can get in there, get an outlet, and she's going to throw it ahead. She's really going to ignite the pace with which we play."
The Fever retooled aggressively this offseason. Indiana retained its key contributors and added more firepower around them.
Clark also enters the season at full health after just playing 13 games in 2025. White has an arsenal of options at her disposal, and Johnson could be her secret weapon.
