3 Things Raven Johnson Needs to Prove in the Fever’s Preseason Games
The Indiana Fever will play three preseason games against the New York Liberty, the Dallas Wings, and the Nigerian national team. Those games won’t reveal a ton about the team’s stars and most prominent players, but they are a first opportunity to see the Fever’s newest additions, note any changes in Stephanie White’s system, and evaluate young players.
Raven Johnson is the most interesting young newcomer on the Fever’s roster. Her spot on the team should be safe, given that the Fever drafted her in the first round and didn’t bring a huge roster to training camp. Nevertheless, Johnson will have to use preseason action to show the coaching staff what she can do in games at the next level.
Johnson has to prove that her defense will carry over
Raven Johnson’s biggest asset is her defense. She is a lockdown perimeter defender, but also had little trouble guarding bigger players, like Sarah Strong, in college.
Defense goes a long way in the WNBA, especially with a Fever team that Stephanie White wants to turn into a top-three defense this season. So, proving that she can be just as impactful on defense as she was for the South Carolina Gamecocks is Johnson’s easiest path to regular minutes and an established role in the Fever’s system.
Johnson needs to be a reliable and steady ballhandler
Caitlin Clark is one of the best passers and floor-spacers in the W. She is also one of the most turnover-prone players in the league, though—a side effect of her fast pace and brilliant, but sometimes daring, passes. So, the Fever’s backup point guard should ideally be less flashy and very reliable and careful with the ball.
Johnson made a name for herself as a traditional floor general who rarely turned the ball over. Handling the ball and orchestrating an offense can be much more difficult in the WNBA, though, when the game is faster, more physical, and played against better defenders. Proving that she can run the offense and take care of the ball when Clark is off the court, will go a long way when it comes to earning coaches’ and teammates’ trust.
Making some shots will be key for Johnson
Johnson never stood out as a scorer in college, but she did vastly improve her output in her final season, almost doubling her scoring average. She didn’t take a ton of threes, but made them reliably at 39.8%.
Defense and playmaking will be Johnson’s most important assets in the W, but she also needs to be able to put up some points and show opponents early that she will punish them if they leave her open.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.