Raven Johnson Emerges as Lone Bright Spot in Fever's Game 1 Loss to Aces
The Indiana Fever knew they would need someone to step up amid the season-ending injury to veteran guard Tyasha Harris. That player was rookie Raven Johnson, who quietly had a big night during her postseason debut in a best-of-three series.
In the Fever's 102-85 blowout loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, she tallied 14 points and shot an efficient 6-of-7 from the field in 22 minutes off the bench. Johnson, who was best known for being a disruptor on defense during her collegiate days, also added two steals to her stat sheet on what was a listless defensive performance from Indiana as they allowed the defending champion Aces to shoot 59% from the field.
There's no doubt that the 5-foot-8 guard was ready to live up to the moment when her team needed it the most, which earned high praise from teammate Caitlin Clark following the Fever's loss.
"Raven was fantastic. Obviously, offensively she was great," Clark said.
"I thought her defensive intensity was really, really good, and that's what we're going to need. She's somebody that puts in the work and somebody you can count on. So just happy for her to come in and play as well as she did," Clark added.
The Fever Should Lean More on Raven Johnson in Game 2
The last thing the Fever wanted was to return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on the brink of elimination. They haven't played the cleanest basketball since the FIBA World Cup break ended, winning just two of their final four games of the regular season—with the two losses being blowouts.
The Fever saw an uncharacteristic performance from Kelsey Mitchell in Game 1, who finished with just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Clark added a 15-point, 10-assist double-double and they got a solid performance in the middle from Aliyah Boston, who added 18 points and 8 rebounds while battling injury.
The key to success for the Fever in Game 2, however, will be slowing down the Aces' offensive firepower. This is very much a tall task, and they certainly had no answer for A'ja Wilson, who tied a playoff career high with 38 points. The reigning MVP also dominated on the glass bringing down 16 rebounds.
Defensive consistency has been Indiana's kryptonite all season, but this is where giving Johnson more minutes can have a positive impact. The Fever nabbed Johnson in the first round specifically for her defense. Well, now is the time to let their draft pick shine. Her spark and fiery energy clearly provided them with a boost as the team was playing flat. Her urgency leading to two steals in Game 1 clearly show the moment isn't too big for her and quite frankly, the Fever could use that effort on defense.
check out her highlights: pic.twitter.com/m8L6GgJThI
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 27, 2026
Johnson's point-of-attack style can create problems for opposing guards, and we already saw glimpses of this in Game 1. Her versatility and length allow her to quickly defend along the perimeter, an area the Fever were dominated in by the Aces. The Fever were not prepared to match the Aces' level of intensity, making another strong performance from Johnson in Game 2 even more important to avoid elimination.
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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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