Raven Johnson-Caitlin Clark beef history: How college rivals are putting past behind as Fever teammates originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Raven Johnson and Caitlin Clark have shared a floor before. The Fever guards were matched up against one another in their college years, jousting as highly-touted guards as members of South Carolina and Iowa, respectively.
Their duels tended to come in big games with national championship implications. They each scored a victory against one another, inflicting emotional pain upon their opponent — albeit in different ways.
As a redshirt freshman, Johnson was the subject of online abuse after Clark dismissively waved her way while she resided at the three-point line in the Hawkeyes’ 2023 Final Four win over South Carolina. Years later, the two are teammates, hoping to propel Indiana to women’s basketball’s promised land.
Their relationship has morphed as the years have gone by, with both Johnson and Clark embracing one another. It took some time to get there, however.
With that, here’s what you need to know about Johnson and Clark’s feud that has since given way to a memorable friendship.
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Raven Johnson-Caitlin Clark beef history
Clark waves off Johnson as Iowa downs South Carolina in Final Four
Clark and Johnson weren’t exactly feuding when their sides locked horns in the 2023 Final Four. They were, however, diametrically opposed to one another. Clark was the high-flying scorer known for her offensive escapades, while Johnson was a dogged defender who would rarely attempt shots outside the perimeter.
Their dueling styles collided when Iowa and South Carolina met under the lights. Clark shined as she tends to do on the offensive end, producing 41 points. Johnson, a freshman at the time, put forth a solid 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting (3-for-6 from three). Nevertheless, Clark was left unimpressed with her shooting mechanics, waving Johnson off as she approached the three-point line.
Iowa is savage pic.twitter.com/NIyDNXhHB1
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) April 1, 2023
Clark was the victor on the day, leading the Hawkeyes to a 77-73 victory over the previously undefeated Gamecocks. The moment left an indelible mark on Johnson, who said she considered quitting basketball as a result of Clark’s gesture and its subsequent fallout.
“I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t … It was just things like that, and I just thought I wanted to quit basketball at that time,” Johnson said in an interview on the “I am Next” show.
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Johnson, Gamecocks get revenge in 2024 national championship game
Johnson’s second trip to the Final Four ended in confetti, with South Carolina capturing the 2024 national championship. The Gamecocks swept aside all comers, including Iowa, to hoist the prize.
Clark produced 30 points to lead all scorers. But she was far less efficient in her showcase, using 28 shots to do so. When matched up against Johnson, she was especially ineffective: Johnson held her to 3-of-11 shooting and forced four turnovers when guarding Clark.
Raven Johnson went viral last year after Caitlin Clark waved her off and left her unguarded.
The South Carolina star said she watched that game over 100 times and admitted the moment “hurt me.”
This year, she was the primary defender on Clark for the majority of the game and… pic.twitter.com/Szczjys5H8
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 7, 2024
Although she wasn’t quite able to recreate her scoring outburst in the first game — Johnson finished with just three points on 1-11 shooting — Johnson was paramount in South Carolina’s triumph.
“I was ready for the moment,” Johnson said after the game, per ESPN. “I studied her moves, and I was ready. I had confidence this year. I was telling myself, last year was not going to happen again.”
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Johnson becomes one of South Carolina’s best shooters in senior season
Still a dogged defender, Johnson became a solid attacking option in Dawn Staley’s setup across her five seasons with the Gamecocks. In fact, as a senior, she set a new career-high in three-point shooting, sinking 40 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. Talk about a turnaround.
“Raven’s put the work in,” Staley said in January 2026, per On3. “So, you’re seeing confidence in and knowing that, when you’ve put the work in, at some point it’s going to start showing up. … When you put the work in, you expect the work to pay off. And it’s paying off for it in a big way.”
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Johnson selected No. 10 to Fever, joining Clark
Johnson’s defensive exploits and offensive improvements made a mark on WNBA scouts. The Fever made Johnson, the 2026 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, their first-round pick, selecting her No. 10 overall. While not expected to be a starter, Johnson’s defense did figure to land her a spot in Stephanie White’s rotation out the gate.
“She’s a sponge,” White said during preseason, per YardBarker. “She wants to learn. She wants to grow… I love her energy. We’ve got to find minutes for her. And we’ve got to find minutes for her in a good rotation.”
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Johnson praises Clark for humor, demeanor
Johnson was complimentary of her fellow guard while speaking with reporters during her first preseason as a WNBA player, telling reporters that she was delighted to get the chance to share the floor — and dressing room — with her former collegiate opponent.
“She’s a great person,” Johnson said. “She helps me through every little thing. I could ask a question and she has an answer for it. Playing with someone like her, it means a lot to me.”
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What did Raven Johnson say about Caitlin Clark?
Johnson had nothing but kind words for her teammate, explaining to reporters that Clark’s personality is misunderstood ahead of a preseason joust with the Wings.
“She’s loving,” Johnson said. “She’s a goofy person. I think a lot of people don’t really know her outside of basketball. She’s funny, she has so much personality, I think that’s what people need to know about her.”
#Fever rookie Raven Johnson on her bond with Caitlin Clark:
“She’s loving. She’s a goofy person. I think a lot of people don’t really know her outside of basketball. …”
“When I put the Indiana Fever jersey on, I said, ‘Let’s try to win a championship together.’ …” pic.twitter.com/mPmp9VbHwQ
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) April 30, 2026
Johnson said that she and Clark have bonded over their sense of humor since she joined the roster.
“I think that’s where we kinda match together and we vibe with each other,” Johnson said.
While some might have thought that Johnson would be wary of building a relationship with Clark after their infamous first interaction, Johnson said that their competitive spirits are pushing them towards the same goal: a title.
“I put the past in the past,” Johnson said. “When I put the Indiana Fever jersey on, I said, ‘Let’s try to win a championship together.’”
