Raven Johnson is taking in a lot right now. The former South Carolina Gamecock hit the court for the Indiana Fever for the first time since the team drafted her Saturday and helped lead her new squad to a preseason win over the New York Liberty.
But a postgame moment from Johnson is getting a lot of attention — and it offers a lesson for rookies across the league. While speaking to reporters after the game, Johnson accidentally gave away one of the Fever's play calls. "She's the one that I've been asking a lot of questions to," Johnson said of teammate Caitlin Clark. "Actually, she helps me a lot. I'm like, 'What is red?' And she says, 'It's trap,' and I'm like wow, it's that simple --"
Johnson was quickly interrupted by coach Stephanie White, who laughed off the mistake, and teammate Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. Though Johnson offered plenty of repeated apologies, White made it clear that the mistake wasn't a big deal.
Johnson, who was the No. 10 overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft and the first the Fever made, has plenty to adapt to and grow around. The Fever are entering the upcoming season under the full weight of media and fan scrutiny, especiallly now that Clark is back on the floor.
Her defensive prowess was on full display Saturday afternoon as she picked up two big blocks in the Fever's favor. Johnson went 3-for-3 from the field and added on eight assists, showing she was more than capable of locating and working with her new teammates. The Fever hasn't set the team's final roster quite yet, but Johnson's performance was a strong one that is likely to do her many favors.
White appeared to suggest as much while speaking to reporters after the game. She said Johnson did a good job and added that the team was more than aware of what she brought to the defense ahead of time. White also said the Fever expects Johnson to bring that "night in and night out" as well was learning more on the offensive side of things. The goal is to "create the matchups that we want and learn how to create an advantage," something that she said is different in the pro game.
Johnson also received plenty of praise from her former coach, Dawn Staley. As she put it in a post shared on social media, her former guard looked more than ready to be on the biggest stage in professional women's basketball.
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