The Indiana Fever selected Raven Johnson as the No. 10 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft to back up Caitlin Clark and Ty Harris at point guard. Clark previously had a controversial moment with Johnson during the 2023 Womenâs Final Four.
The Indiana Fever selected South Carolinaâs Raven Johnson with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
The plan is for Johnson to back up Fever superstar Caitlin Clark and free-agent signee Ty Harris at point guard.
You have to wonder if anyone ran the pick by Clark. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star famously waved away the responsibility of guarding Johnson during the 2023 Womenâs Final Four.
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As Johnson dribbled all alone near the 3-point line in the first quarter of Iowaâs 77-73 semifinal victory, Clark remained in the lane, waving dismissively. Johnson shot 24.1 percent from long distance that season.
Later, Johnson said the aftermath of Clarkâs action hurt her.
âI got bullied. ⊠I wanted to go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself,â Johnson said on the âI Am Nextâ podcast, per The Athletic.
âBut, you know, maybe I needed that to find who I am today.â
Johnson is rightfully proud of what she accomplished in five seasons at South Carolina. She was a member of two national championship teams, though she only played two games during the 2021-22 title campaign.
However, the Gamecocks and Johnson got revenge on Clark and the Hawkeyes during the 2024 Womenâs Final Four. South Carolina defeated Iowa 87-75 in the title game. Johnson guarded Clark and limited her to 30 points on 10-of-28 field-goal shooting.
In 2025-26, Johnson averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 assists and 4 rebounds per game for the Gamecocks, who made it back to the NCAA title game before falling to the UCLA Bruins. She improved her 3-point shooting percentage to 39.8.
Johnson claimed the SEC Defensive Player of the Year award and a third-team Associated Press All-American honor.
After the pick, the Indiana Fever posted a video of GM Amber Cox and head coach Stephanie White video-chatting with Johnson.
In a release from the team, Johnson didnât mention Clark by name, but she indicated she is looking forward to learning from Indiana veterans. Guards Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham are returning to the Fever as well.
âThey have a lot of vets I could learn from and theyâre winners,â Johnson said. âEverybody on that team likes to win. I think thatâs what makes that team special.â
The Indiana Fever open the 2026 WNBA season on Saturday, May 9, against the Dallas Wings.
Caitlin Clark famously waved away the responsibility of guarding Raven Johnson during the game, which raised eyebrows and sparked discussions about their rivalry.
The Indiana Fever selected Raven Johnson with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Raven Johnson is expected to back up superstar Caitlin Clark and free-agent signee Ty Harris at the point guard position.
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