The Indiana Fever were back in action Thursday night, hosting the Dallas Wings in their second preseason game of the 2026 season at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The game’s main headliners were Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, who both lived up to the billing, as Dallas pulled away with a 95-80 win.
Despite the loss, rookie guard Raven Johnson gave Indiana fans plenty to be excited about. She entered the game and immediately dished out a pair of assists. Her 6-foot-2 wingspan created chaos all night: she recorded five steals, including one where she stole the ball back just three seconds after turning it over, leading directly to a bucket that put the Fever up five.
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Johnson finished with three points and led the Fever with five assists and five steals on the night.
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
After the game, head coach Stephanie White did not hold back on Johnson, and praised the rookie for her effort.
“She’s a sponge,” White said of Johnson. “She wants to learn. She wants to grow… I love her energy. We’ve got to find minutes for her. And we’ve got to find minutes for her in a good rotation.”
The Fever selected Johnson with the 10th overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. The 5-foot-8 guard spent five years at South Carolina, winning two national championships with the Gamecocks and earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2026.
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Thursday marked Johnson’s second straight impressive showing in a Fever jersey. In her professional debut against the New York Liberty on Saturday, she posted six points on 3-of-3 shooting, along with eight assists, three rebounds and two blocks in 18 minutes.
She joins a guard room in Indianapolis that already features Caitlin Clark, Kelsey Mitchell and Sophie Cunningham, one of the deepest backcourts in the WNBA. How much Johnson can carve out meaningful minutes in that rotation remains to be seen. But fans will get their first glimpse of Johnson in the regular season when the Fever open their 2026 campaign at home against the Wings on May 9.
Related: Caitlin Clark Speaks Out on Raven Johnson After Fever Loss
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on May 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
