The Indiana Fever’s No. 10 pick, Raven Johnson, praised Caitlin Clark in a post shared on her Instagram account. Johnson and Clark go back to their college days, with the two having been rivals while playing for South Carolina and Iowa, respectively.
On Monday, Johnson shared a video on her Instagram story, showing Clark making a tough 3-point shot over a defender before turning around to high-five Johnson. She called Clark the goat in the caption of her story.
During the Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks’ Final Four matchup in 2023, Clark waved off Johnson after she received the ball on the perimeter, seemingly daring her to shoot. The moment drew widespread attention online, becoming a talking point in their rivalry.
The Gamecocks defeated the Hawkeyes to win the NCAA title the following year, with Johnson guarding Clark in the final.
Addressing their rivalry after the draft, here’s what Johnson told The Athletic:
“I think that’s in the past, honestly. We’re teammates now, and we have one goal: to win a championship.”
Raven Johnson explains how Caitlin Clark’s “wave-off” incident almost made her want to quit basketball
Speaking to the media at the Indiana Fever’s training camp, Raven Johnson touched on her “wave-off” incident with Caitlin Clark, sharing the significant impact that moment had on her.
“That’s one reason why I hate the internet now. I got bashed, I got bullied. I got called all these things that I wasn’t,” Johnson said. “I wanted to quit basketball at that time and go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself. I just leaned on God, I had some wonderful teammates and they helped me find that light and it put some much fuel to the fire for me to go back for the next year and we went undefeated and met that team again and we beat them.”
The Gamecocks won the NCAA title the following year; Johnson has also improved as a 3-point shooter since, averaging 39.8% from beyond the arc in her senior year at South Carolina.
Johnson made her preseason debut for the Fever on Saturday, finishing with six points, three rebounds and eight assists, shooting 3-for-3.
Read More: Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson’s Viral Courtside Moment Sparks Massive Reaction From Fever Fans
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