Caitlin Clark’s new Fever teammate was once waved off by her in college
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Raven Johnson, the newest member of the Indiana Fever, whom the team selected with the 10th pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday, will join forces with Caitlin Clark after a tense rivalry between the two teams years ago.
Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes face Johnson’s South Carolina Gamecocks in the 2023 NCAA women’s Final Four. There was a moment during that game when Clark was supposed to guard Johnson, but Clark waved Johnson to double-team him with another South Carolina player.
The clip of Clark waving to Johnson went viral, and Johnson later said it sparked mockery of him online.
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April 7, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) plays the ball past South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) during the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. (Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports)
“I was all over the internet,” Johnson said. “MY NEXT” podcast In March. “That’s part of the reason why I hate the internet now. I got beat up, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t, like a monkey and things like that, and I think at the time I wanted to quit basketball and just go into this little bubble of isolation and be on my own.”
Still, Johnson seems excited to be on the same side as Clark.
After Johnson was drafted by the Fever on Monday, he said Clark was the teammate he was most excited to play with in the pros.
AS THE TEAM’S POPULARITY INCREASED UNDER CAITLIN CLARK, FEVER’S LEXIE HULL SPEAK OUT AGAINST ATTACKS AGAINST PLAYERS
Raven Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half of the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“Caitlin Clark,” he quickly said when asked by Johnson. Overtime WBB Which new teammate is he most excited to play with? “… He’s a phenomenal player, bar standard with what he does. He can shoot, he can lead a team and they win. He has a winning mentality and I think that’s the biggest thing.”
The Fever have solidified their roster as they enter the 2026 season as a true championship contender.
The team recently re-signed key players Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham and added veteran Monique Billings in free agency.
The Fever have the fourth-best chance to win the WNBA title in 2026, behind the Minnesota Lynx, defending champion Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty.
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Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) walks onto the court past South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, left, during the first half of the NCAA women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four college basketball championship game on Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
The Fever’s season ended with a 107-98 overtime loss on the road. Las Vegas Aces In Game 5 of last year’s WNBA semifinals.
With Clark back from injury, their core solid and at least one new addition, Indiana is looking to get the job done.
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