The Indiana Fever made an intentional choice to draft Raven Johnson to bulk up their guard depth heading into the 2026 season. Little did they know how much drama it would stir up.
In the wake of Indiana taking Johnson with the No. 10 pick in the WNBA draft, a viral moment between her and Clark has resurfaced. It dates back to their college hooping days, when Johnson played for South Carolina and Clark repped Iowa in the national semifinal of the 2023 NCAA tournament. On a Gamecocks’ possession, Clark was seen waving off Johnson as she dribbled the ball at the top of the arc, leaving the South Carolina guard wide open and unashamedly daring her to shoot. Clark and the Hawkeyes ended up beating South Carolina to advance to the final, with that one moment going down in history in NCAA lore.
Three years later, and Clark and Johnson will be playing together in the pros. Fever’s Aliyah Boston recently discussed the pairing with Candace Parker on their joint podcast, Post Moves, and—much like Clark waving off Johnson—brushed off the simmering drama of the rivals-turned-teammates playing together.
“I can’t wait to hear about that first practice where it’s gonna be a little awkward,” Parker said. “I mean i know that Caitlin Clark and Raven have probably talked since then but there’s gotta be a little—you know what I mean? Especially to a defensive player like her, you’re going to come in and you’re probably going to be playing against the first unit, to be honest with you.”
“It’s crazy because we actually did talk about it,” Boston said. “Because I feel like we had to talk about it, it was just one of those things that was like, ‘Wow.’ Like no beef, obviously. It’s so funny the fans always have more beef than the players actually do... You read all this stuff and it’s like fans are hating on one person and hating on another and then you are playing with that said person.
“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, like that’s literally all it is.”
Aliyah Boston talking about the Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson teammate dynamic with the Fever
— Grant Young (@GrvntYoung) April 15, 2026
“I think it’s going to be fine… it literally doesn’t matter.”
🎥: @PostMovesShow pic.twitter.com/eyghgTlYbJ
With the Fever set to begin training camp Sunday, it won’t be long until Clark and Johnson take the court together as newly minted teammates. After back-to-back playoff runs, Indiana, led by a fully healthy Clark, has serious title contending dreams this season, with the defensively tough Johnson expected to step in as the team’s third point guard behind veteran Tyasha Harris.
What Raven Johnson, Caitlin Clark have said about their viral moment
So... is it all water under the bridge between Clark and Johnson? Probably. And neither player wants it overshadowing the real storyline of 2026, which is the Fever competing for a WNBA championship.
Johnson discussed the moment last month on the I AM ATHLETE podcast, when she opened up about how much it affected her mental health.
“I was all over the internet,” Johnson said. “That’s one reason I hate the internet now, because of that situation. I got bashed. I got bullied. I got called all these things that I wasn’t. ... I wanted to quit basketball at that time and go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.”
Johnson also made clear she didn’t carry a grudge against the now two-time WNBA All-Star: “And for the record, I don’t blame Caitlin for any of it. It’s not her fault. Damn near all is fair when we’re out there on the floor. She’s a dawg,” Johnson wrote in The Player’s Tribune.
A year after the wave-off, Johnson ended up evening the score against Clark in the 2024 NCAA championship tilt when South Carolina defeated Iowa, 87-75. That game, Johnson was one of the primary defenders on Clark, who shot 10-of-28 from the field for 30 points in her final college game and one of the most heartbreaking losses of her collegiate career.
Prior to the title game, Clark complimented Johnson for being a “true leader” and for turning one of the worst moments of her life into bulletin board fodder.
“I think Raven's had a tremendous year,” Clark said in April 2024. “I think not only from a shooting perspective, but as the point guard of a team, as the guard of a team, she's been a true leader. She's led that team. ... That just speaks to her work ethic. She got in the gym, and she got better, and I admire that. I think that’s what makes great players great, and that’s exactly what she did.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aliyah Boston Had Frank Take on Caitlin Clark, Raven Johnson Playing Together on Fever.
