Caitlin Clark’s new Fever teammate was as soon as waved off by her in faculty

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The most recent member of the Indiana Fever, Raven Johnson, who the group took with the tenth total choose within the WNBA Draft on Monday, will be part of forces with Caitlin Clark after a tensely aggressive second between the 2 a few years in the past.

Within the 2023 NCAA ladies's Last 4, Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes met Johnson's South Carolina Gamecocks . Throughout that recreation, there was a second when Clark was imagined to be guarding Johnson, however Clark waved Johnson off to double-team one other South Carolina participant.

The clip of Clark waving off Johnson ended up going viral, and Johnson later mentioned it resulted in on-line mockery in opposition to her.

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Apr 7, 2024; Cleveland, OH, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles the ball previous South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) within the finals of the Last 4 of the ladies's 2024 NCAA Event at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. (Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports activities)

"I used to be everywhere in the web," Johnson mentioned on the "I AM NEXT" podcast in March. "That is one motive I hate the web now, due to that scenario. I obtained bashed, I obtained bullied, I obtained known as all this stuff I wasn't, aka like a monkey and issues like that, and I simply suppose I wished to give up basketball at the moment, and I simply wished to go on this little bubble of isolation and simply be on my own."

Nonetheless, Johnson seems excited to now be on the identical aspect as Clark.

After Johnson was drafted by the Fever on Monday, she mentioned Clark is the teammate she's most excited to play with within the professionals.

FEVER'S LEXIE HULL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ATTACKS ON PLAYERS AS TEAM'S POPULARITY GROWS DURING CAITLIN CLARK ERA

Raven Johnson #25 of the South Carolina Gamecocks reacts within the first half through the 2024 NCAA Girls's Basketball Event Nationwide Championship in opposition to the Iowa Hawkeyes at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Steph Chambers/Getty Pictures)

"Caitlin Clark," Johnson mentioned instantly when requested by Overtime WBB which new teammate she’s most excited to play with. "... She’s an exceptional participant, with the issues she does, it’s bar commonplace. She will be able to shoot the ball, she will be able to lead a group, and so they win. She has a profitable mentality, and I feel that’s the most important factor."

The Fever have solidified their roster going into the 2026 season as a real championship contender.

The group just lately re-signed key gamers Kelsey Mitchell, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham, whereas including veteran Monique Billings in free company.

The Fever have the fourth-best odds to win the WNBA title in 2026 behind the Minnesota Lynx, the defending champion Las Vegas Aces and the New York Liberty.

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Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives up courtroom previous South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, left, through the first half of the Last 4 faculty basketball championship recreation within the ladies's NCAA Event, Sunday, April 7, 2024, in Cleveland. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

The Fever's season led to 107-98 additional time loss to the Las Vegas Aces in Recreation 5 of the WNBA semifinals final yr.

With Clark coming back from harm, their core intact and not less than one new addition, Indiana is seeking to end the job.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports activities reporter for Fox Information Digital protecting vital political and cultural points in sports activities, with an investigative lens. Jackson's reporting has been cited in federal authorities actions associated to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media retailers together with The New York Instances, The Los Angeles Instances, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Related Press and ESPN.com.