Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever are shaping up for an intriguing offseason, and with the NCAA women’s basketball championship game now concluded — where the UCLA Bruins dominated the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 — fans are already turning their attention to prospects for the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Two prospects who emerged as realistic targets for the Fever during the championship game are guards Gabriela Jaquez of UCLA and Raven Johnson of South Carolina. The Fever hold the No. 10 pick in the draft.
Jaquez impressed with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting along with 10 rebounds and five assists, while Johnson struggled, finishing with just three points on 1-of-7 shooting. Fever fans have made their preference clear.
What Did Raven Johnson Say About Caitlin Clark?
Raven Johnson recently revisited the 2023 Final Four, recalling the moment when Caitlin Clark waved her off at the 3-point line and dared her to shoot, ultimately passing up.
South Carolina lost 77-73, ending its unbeaten season with Clark delivering 41 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Johnson said that moment made her want to quit basketball.
“And then another adversity would probably be Caitlin Clark. That’s one reason I hate the internet now, because of that situation. Like, I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things that I wasn’t… I don’t know. It was just things like that, and I just think I wanted to quit basketball at that time.
“And I just wanted to go into this little bubble of isolation, and just be by myself. And I think, you know, I leaned on God, I had some wonderful teammates, wonderful people in my life.”
Tankathon’s 2026 WNBA mock draft projects Jaquez to go No. 10 to the Fever, while Johnson is slotted at No. 11 to the Mystics.
Beyond Clark, the Fever had multiple guard options in 2025 — Aari McDonald, Odyssey Sims, Shey Peddy, Syd Colson and Bree Hall — but injuries depleted their depth last season, leaving them in need of reinforcements heading into 2026.
