Fever roster projection with Raven Johnson: How South Carolina star fits with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston in Indiana

Fever roster projection with Raven Johnson: How South Carolina star fits with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston in Indiana originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Raven Johnson is officially headed to Indiana and the South Carolina guard will be playing next to other up-and-coming stars.

When South Carolina faced Iowa in the National Championship game in 2024, Raven Johnson played 37 minutes with 3 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and a whopping four steals. Across the court from her? Her new teammate Caitlin Clark.

The two once played against one other on the biggest stage in women's college basketball. Or, by the ratings that year, the biggest stage in all of college basketball. Now, they are set to team up.

Johnson also played two seasons with Aliyah Boston, although the first season of the two saw Johnson redshirt after a knee injury in November. Nonetheless, after a full season of the two together in South Carolina, they now team up in Indianapolis.

The Indiana Fever have a strong young core, but how does Johnson fit onto this team going forward? Let's dive in.

MORE:A look back at the Iowa vs. South Carolina national title game, featuring Johnson, Clark, Boston

Indiana Fever Roster with Raven Johnson

Here is a look at the Fever's current roster, including first round pick Raven Johnson and second-rounder Justine Pissott.

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Indiana Fever projected starting five

As it stands after this year's draft, here is the Fever's projected starting five entering 2026, along with each player's 2025 stats.

• G Caitlin Clark (16.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 8.8 apg)
• G Kelsey Mitchell (20.2 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 3.4 apg)
• G Aari McDonald (9.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 4.7 apg
• F Lexie Hull (7.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)
• F Aliyah Boston (15.0 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 3.7 apg)

The Fever roster projects a lot of similarities from last season, with the notable departure of Natasha Howard. Assuming a healthy start to the season, Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston are likely to be members of the starting five. The fifth spot is up for grabs between Aari McDonald, Sophie Cunningham and new addition Myisha Hines-Allen.

But where does Raven Johnson fall in this equation? It's likely that Johnson isn't a starter from day one. That being said, she projects as a valuable bench piece in her first season, likely being the ninth or 10th player off the bench in Indianapolis.

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The beneficial part of Johnson's game is that she does a lot of things well, making her an ideal player off the bench. While she didn't take a lot of shots in South Carolina, never averaging double digit points in a season, she shoots the ball well. In 2025-2026, Johnson shot 39.8% from three. She also shared the ball well, averaging over five assists per game.

Johnson could certainly earn a starting role down the road, but in her first season, she could be the type to give the Fever a spark off the bench and make a few big shots. The problem is that her skillset is primarily blocked by other players on the roster. While it's always useful to have multiple strong shooting threats, it's hard to envision Johnson starting at point guard when Clark is playing in Indiana. Both are strong three-point shooters with good passing ability, but it will take a lot for Johnson to crack the starting five over someone like Clark or Kelsey Mitchell, who averaged over 20 points last season.

There are certainly spots to be won on this starting five, as last season's team saw 10 different players make at least one start. With this in mind, Johnson will have some runway to make herself known to Fever fans.

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