Indiana Fever Draft Grades: How Each Pick Can Fit in With the Current Roster
The Fever went into the 2026 WNBA Draft with three picks and no glaring roster holes they desperately needed to address.
Unlike last year, they still had their first-round pick, though, selecting tenth overall. That pick became South Carolina guard Raven Johnson. The Fever also added Justine Pissott out of Vanderbilt in the second round, and Jessica Timmons in the third—no mindblowing selections, but a good haul overall.
Raven Johnson: A
With Azzi Fudd, Olivia Miles, Awa Fam, Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, Kiki Rice, Iyana Martín Carrión, Flau’jae Johnson, and Angela Dugalić off the board, Raven Johnson was easily one of the most reliable and pro-ready options available.
Johnson may never turn into a star in the WNBA, but the Fever don’t need another star. They need someone who can contribute to winning basketball while playing a role to perfection. Johnson can do just that.
She is a certified winner and a tough defender, who can guard multiple positions—she guarded Sarah Strong in the Final Four! That defensive versatility can go a long way on a team that doesn’t have a great defensive backcourt with Cailtin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell.
When Clark missed some time last season, one of the Fever’s big issues early on was getting the ball to Aliyah Boston. With Johnson in a backup guard role, that won’t be a problem. Johnson and Boston played together at South Carolina.
Moreover, Johnson improved notably as a scorer in her final college season and can hit some open shots for the Fever.
Justine Pissott: B+
Pissott was a full-time starter for a Vanderbilt team that went undefeated for a good part of the season and only narrowly lost to Notre Dame in the Sweet Sixteen. Pissott averaged 11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists.
She shot an impressive 42.2% from three on 6.6 attempts per game and has great size at 6-foot-4. If she can hold her own defensively, Pissott could give the Fever an interesting look as a stretch-four next to Aliyah Boston.
Jessica Timmons: B-
Timmons was the leading scorer for an Alabama team that made it to the second round in the postseason. She also boasted a solid 3-point shot, sinking almost 40% of her 5.4 attempts per game in her senior season. It was the first time in her college career that she shot over 32% on significant volume, though, so the question is whether her 3-point shot will translate to the next level. At 5’8”, Timmons is on the shorter side, which would be a problem if the 3-point shot doesn’t translate.
Getting a roster spot or minutes with a Fever team hoping to compete for a championship will be an uphill battle. Timmons could be one of the first players to benefit from the new developmental roster spots that were added in the new CBA.
Either way, Timmons won’t influence the trajectory of the Fever’s season—unless they face another wave of injuries and have to play her—but having someone like her under team control certainly can’t hurt.
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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.