Caitlin Clark Talks Clearing Mental Hurdles, Raven Johnson Earns Praise: Fever Notes
Caitlin Clark is the most popular player the WNBA has ever seen, but with that popularity comes immense pressure
Nearly every aspect of Clark is scrutinized, including her health status. In 2025, Clark only played in 13 games as a result of a series of injuries, which has brought even more focus to her daily status this season—including when Clark missed the Indiana Fever's May 20 win over the Portland Fire due to back soreness.
This one game absence caused a ruckus on social media, further illustrating the spotlight she's under, and the attention on and off the court that comes along with it.
Clark has been open about having a sports psychologist to help her overcome the mental hurdles necessary to excel on the floor, something she touched on during Fever practice Tuesday.
"You have the human side to balance, and then you have the performance side, and you're trying to deal with both and at times it can be a lot. So, I think it's maybe the most important thing that I have as part of my team and the people that I work with. Obviously my body and the performance, I want to be great, but I can't do that if my mind's not right," Clark said.
#Fever star Caitlin Clark:
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 26, 2026
“I always talk about a lot of the positives, too. It’s not (just) negatives. And a lot of the time maybe it is a lot more positive of things you noticed you are doing really well … It’s great to recognize those, too. It’s like a fine balance.” https://t.co/u67PkU6pDk
Clark gave herself credit for pushing through some adversity with her early shooting struggles, which has led to a recent offensive explosion from deep.
"For example, when I played the Mystics, I was super proud of myself those first three quarters were such a mental battle. But having the mental resolve to be able to battle through in the fourth and really figure it out and kind of get hot, proud of that," Clark said.
"That can be one of the toughest things as a competitor, when things aren't going your way, how do you continue to fight, how do you continue to battle. You've gotta celebrate those wins as well," she added.
Clark also discussed how she has learned to manage her body better when talking about her back, which is part of the reason she and the team exercised caution in holding her out for the Fire game.
However, she made it clear that she feels great and doesn't believe the back issue will be of any concern going forward.
Raven Johnson Continues to Impress in Her Rookie Season
Rookie Raven Johnson is continuing to show why the Fever drafted her as their first round pick. She's shown steady growth as a pro and has become a larger part of the team's rotation of late.
Johnson, who's known for her defensive play, has quietly been making an impact for the Fever in an area where they've looked to improve. Her long wingspan and strong instincts give her the ability to lock down opponents and her disruption has also helped at forcing steals.
Clark has been impressed by what she's seen so far from Johnson.
"She brings the energy every single day and it best replicates itself when she's playing defense. She's tenacious, she's fiery, she's competitive. Whatever the coaches ask her, she's going to do and has been doing it really well. I think just the positive vibes that she's brought in here has been a really fun addition for us. Super proud of her and it's been cool to see how much better she's already gotten in the six games that we've played," Clark said.
CC w/high praise (& big smiles) for Raven:
— allison (@_girltalk) May 26, 2026
“She’s tenacious, she’s fiery, she’s competitive. Whatever the coaches ask her she’s going to do & has been doing it really well.
She gave us really big minutes in the 4th against the Valkyries so we’ll continue to need more of that.” pic.twitter.com/Q00x4E52NB
Fever coach Stephanie White added to the praise when discussing Johnson on Monday.
"She's a joy to be around. She has this way about her that allows others to connect with her. She's serious, but she's also easy going and has a great ability to connect with lots of different people and that makes her a really good teammate," White said.
Johnson has fit right in with the Fever, who are firing on all cylinders heading into Thursday's rematch with the Golden State Valkyries.
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Lindsay Burke covers women’s basketball for Indiana Fever On SI and Women’s Fastbreak On SI. She graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and a minor in media production. Early in her career she covered ECHL hockey, the NFL and college football and has since expanded her expertise to the WNBA and the Fever franchise.
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