Raven Johnson Is Getting Every Answer She Can From Caitlin Clark
Raven Johnson, who was then still a guard for the South Carolina Gamecocks, made waves with comments she made about facing Caitlin Clark in the 2023 Final Four during a March 28 episode of the "I AM NEXT" podcast.
"And then another adversity [in her basketball career] would probably be Caitlin Clark," Johnson said while footage of Clark guarding Johnson from leagues away, to the point where she was daring Johnson to shoot a three-pointer during that game. Clark then waved off Johnson at another point, making a clear show of her disregard for Johnson's shooting ability.
Johnson went on to speak about how the criticism she received because of this nearly made her want to quit basketball. But she instead used it as fuel, and ultimately got revenge on Clark and her Hawkeyes squad by beating them in the 2024 national championship game.
Talk about adding fuel to the fire…
— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) March 28, 2026
In 2023 Raven Johnson went VIRAL for being waved off by Caitlin Clark at the 3 point line 🤯
Raven told us how that moment came full circle 😤‼️ pic.twitter.com/HFCMaNnOlp
Fast forward a few weeks, and now Clark and Johnson are teammates on the Indiana Fever. This is because the Fever selected Johnson with their No. 10 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Even if Johnson hadn't made those comments, the competitive rivalry between these two would have made it intriguing to see how they gelled in Indiana. And with those comments as context, the intrigue has turned to fascination for many.
Raven Johnson's Fresh Comments About Teammate Caitlin Clark Speak Volumes
However, several comments Johnson made during the Fever's April 22 media day show that what had once been a rivalry has blossomed into camaraderie.
When Johnson was asked about whether she and Clark had discussed Clark waving her off during that Final Four game, she said, “No, we haven’t. I think that’s in the past, honestly. We’re teammates now and we have one goal, that’s to win a championship. I'm coming in, I want to win a championship, too. And I'm pretty sure that's her main goal, too. So whatever I can do to win a championship, that's the goal right now," per an X post from James Boyd.
What's more, Johnson has actually been leaning on Clark to learn the ropes of Indiana's system.
"It's fun to learn from the vets here. They definitely make sure I get the plays. Yesterday, they were just throwing plays at me. And I'm like, 'Oh, gosh. Sheesh, they run a lot of plays.' But Caitlin Clark, she was helping me through all the hard times; she was helping me... I was asking her a lot of questions. And I think with being a rookie, and having a vet like that, you should ask her questions that you want to know.
"And I think I asked her like 1,000 questions yesterday," Johnson concluded of Clark, per an X post from @_girltalk.
Love this.
— allison (@_girltalk) April 22, 2026
Raven shouting out CC as one of the vets she’s been turning to during camp. Said she’s asked her “1000 questions already” but Caitlin’s been really helpful through all the hard times and learning all the plays. pic.twitter.com/1gU3v6GEJL
Anyone who worried about how Johnson and Clark might pair together with the Fever can rest easy.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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