Stephanie White Gives Honest Take On Raven Johnson’s Indiana Fever Debut

The former South Carolina star went for 2-of-2 from the FT, finishing with 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal under 12 minutes of playtime. But the coach thought that “there were a little nerves” during the game.

However, White assured that Johnson will “settle in… (as) she did some really good things… on the defensive end, pushing the ball, pushing pace.” As a rookie, the growing pains were there. But “she’s going to be fine.”

But it was her defense and pace that were eye-catching, above all. Johnson was always up on the floor with the ball and was comfortable putting pressure on defense, both of which are a natural fit with Indiana’s preferred style.

Raven’s game has just begun, and she’ll get the chance to prove herself eventually as Indiana Fever’s next opponent is the Los Angeles Sparks, with the matchup scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

And the improvement might come faster, given that playing in the WNBA had always been her dream.

Raven Johnson Dreamt of Playing in the WNBA

Most collegiate stars look forward to the WNBA transition. But for Johnson, it started early. And going into the preseason, the 23-year-old could barely contain her excitement.

“I feel like I’m dreaming,” she said before the preseason matchup. “I can’t believe I’m in the WNBA. I’ve been dreaming of this since I was a little girl… Those are the girls I looked up to in middle school. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be crazy.”

Moreover, it didn’t take her long to adapt to the Fever’s style and her new peers. She admitted learning “a lot about moving without the ball in (her) hands.” As “Everyone on this team has an elite-level IQ (and) knows what they’re doing.”