Raven Johnson is headed to Indiana after the Fever selected the South Carolina guard with the No. 10 overall pick in Monday's 2026 WNBA Draft, setting up a reunion with former Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston.
The pick gives Indiana another versatile guard as the franchise continues to build around Caitlin Clark and Boston. Johnson brings perimeter defense, pace, and playmaking to a Fever backcourt that needed more depth heading into the season.
The reunion with Boston adds immediate familiarity. Johnson arrived at South Carolina just as Boston was finishing her final collegiate season, and the two helped the Gamecocks win the 2022 national title. However, Boston's influence stuck with Johnson well beyond that championship run.
“It’s so crazy,” Johnson said. “[Boston] taught me so much through my college experience. She taught me what pro habits were… her leadership, [being] a role model, it goes a long way. She is a phenomenal person and instills so much in young people. There’s no way you don’t want to play with somebody like that.”
Johnson leaves South Carolina a two-time national champion, 2026 SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and one of the best perimeter defenders in the 2026 WNBA Draft class. She averaged 9.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.1 steals last season while helping lead the Gamecocks back to the Final Four.
2026 WNBA Draft Pick Raven Johnson Teams Up with Caitlin Clark
There is history with Clark, too. Johnson was on the other side of one of the most memorable 2023 Final Four moments, when Clark waved her off an open 3-point shot during Iowa's upset win over South Carolina.
Now, that college rivalry must translate into a professional partnership. Johnson joins a Fever team with playoff expectations and a veteran core already in place.
"They have a lot of vets that I can learn from and they’re winners,” Johnson said. “Everybody on that team likes to win. I think that’s what makes that team special."
