Raven Johnson opens up on relationship with Fever teammate Caitlin Clark: ‘She’s a great person’ originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Raven Johnson and Caitlin Clark’s careers have long been inextricably linked. The South Carolina product and Fever guard first crossed paths in college, sharing the floor when Clark’s Iowa team knocked off Johnson’s Gamecocks in the Final Four.
Now, they’re teammates. Indiana selected Johnson with the No. 10 pick in the WNBA Draft, valuing her dogged defense and improving shot mechanics.
Given the nature of their first interaction — Clark famously waved Johnson away during the game, a gesture some interpreted as dismissive of Johnson’s skill set — some have wondered how the two would gel. Early returns are promising, according to Johnson.
With that, here’s what you need to know about Johnson and Clark’s burgeoning relationship.
MORE: A look back at the Iowa vs. South Carolina national title game, featuring Johnson, Clark, Boston
Raven Johnson opens up on relationship with Caitlin Clark
Johnson had nothing but kind words to say about her newfound teammate ahead of the Fever’s matchup with the Wings. The Indiana rookie told The Athletic’s James Boyd that Clark has welcomed her to the WNBA ranks with open arms.
“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.
“She’s a great person. 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.”
#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 lauded Clark’s sense of humor. The South Carolina product said she and Clark have bonded over their willingness to cut people up with jokes and barbs.
“I think that’s where we kinda match together and we vibe with each other,” Johnson said of their senses of humor.
Johnson and Clark have shared the floor before. Clark famously waved Johnson away when Iowa beat South Carolina in the 2023 Final Four.
Johnson admitted the incident — which went viral on social media — nearly prompted her to end her basketball career.
“I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t,” Johnson said while appearing on the “I Am Next” podcast. “I wanted to quit basketball that time.”
Johnson stuck with it. She was rewarded handsomely, capturing a national title with the Gamecocks before setting sail for the WNBA. Four years later, Indiana selected her with the No. 10 pick in the WNBA Draft.
Now, she and Clark are aligned. Their goal is the same all these years later: to win a championship..
“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.’”
MORE: How Raven Johnson fits with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston in Indiana