Raven Johnson Putting ‘Beef’ With Caitlin Clark In the Past Amidst Fever’s Championship Goals

Raven Johnson and Caitlin Clark were rivals in college with them winning a game a piece between each other.

Raven Johnson Putting ‘Beef’ With Caitlin Clark In the Past Amidst Fever’s Championship Goals

Raven Johnson and Caitlin Clark (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • Raven Johnson and Caitlin Clark have not yet addressed their past rivalry but are focused on winning a championship as teammates.
  • Johnson has been actively seeking guidance from Clark to adapt to the WNBA's style of play.
  • Caitlin Clark expressed the need for a reliable ball handler like Johnson to ease her workload during games.

When the Indiana Fever selected Raven Johnson with the 10th pick in this year’s draft, many fans were not happy with the decision, pointing to the tumultuous past with superstar Caitlin Clark.

The two clashed in the 2023 NCAA Final Four, and the latter famously waved off the South Carolina guard, daring her to shoot from beyond the three-point line.

That was seen as a sign of disrespect, and Johnson herself pointed out how it led to social media heckling that left her broken to the point where she thought of leaving the game altogether.

She did manage to get her focus back and then consistently improved her game to the point where, ironically, Caitlin Clark’s team decided Johnson was good enough to play for them.

More importantly, the two are going to be backcourt teammates. Which means any lingering ‘beef’ could upset the apple cart. On that note, reporters at the Fever’s preseason media day asked Raven Johnson if she and her former college rival had buried the hatchet.

No, we haven’t. I think that’s in the past, honestly. We’re teammates now and we have one goal, that’s to win a championship.

Raven Johnson replied

Many expected the 23-year-old to follow what her former college teammate Aliyah Boston did when Caitlin Clark first arrived as a rookie. Even though they hashed it out, it seems the Georgia native and the superstar point guard are yet to speak on the matter.

Since they are pros, it is generally expected that they should leave their past differences at the door before coming together for a common goal. As the 5’8″ guard stressed, their collective goal of winning a championship should ease any past tensions.

Raven Johnson reveals Caitlin Clark has been helping her

As Raven Johnson continued with her press meeting, she was asked how the vets on the Indiana Fever have been helping her get accustomed to the WNBA’s style of play.

Raven Johnson is learning from former rival Caitlin Clark
Johnson is learning from former rival Clark (Image via FTW/X)

I learn from the vets here. They definitely make sure I get the plays. Yesterday, they were just throwing plays at me… Caitlin Clark, she was helping me through all the hard times… I was asking her a lot of questions… I asked her probably like a 1000 questions yesterday.

Johnson said

This indicates that she and Caitlin Clark are not bothered to talk about their past. Rather, they are focused on preparing for the upcoming WNBA season.

Getting help from one of the best point guards in the league is important for a rookie to get up to speed with everything. WNBA concepts can be overwhelming, as Raven Johnson revealed. That is why she is asking her new teammate to get her acclimatised with them.

Caitlin Clark is hoping Raven Johnson can allow her to take a breather during games

When the draft came around, many expected the Indiana Fever to either get a big guard or a floor-spacing big. The logic was that last year, Chloe Bibby was instrumental in the team becoming offensively.

After losing the Australian in the expansion draft, the Fever did have an option to draft 6’3″ TCU forward Marta Suarez with the 10th pick.

But they preferred a point guard in Raven Johnson. When Caitlin Clark was asked about the possibility of her playing off the ball, her answer gave away the Fever’s logic behind that selection.

It is exhausting bringing the ball up the floor 94 feet versus pressure every single time, so we certainly need to find someone who can handle the ball and give me a little bit of a break… I think Raven and Ty, even other people through camp, have done a great job.

Clark replied

This means that whenever the superstar needs some in-game rest, she can rely upon Raven Johnson and free agent signee Ty Harris to take over playmaking duties. Staying fresh is important if the Fever are to contend for the championship.

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