Stephanie White staunchly backed Raven Johnson before the season began. “I love her energy,” White said. “We’ve got to find minutes for her. And we’ve got to find minutes for her in a good rotation.” And the start was impressive. She had 4 points, 2 assists, 2 rebounds and a steal in just 12 minutes against the Dallas Wings. However, her minutes have disappeared since, even when the Fever needed it the most against the Mystics.
John’s defense was a big reason the Fever drafted her. She was another guard in their deep roster full of guards. But the Fever insisted that she added another aspect with her perimeter defense and leadership. And yet, the Fever are allowing the third-worst average of opponent scoring. The defensive end has been a struggle in two home games against Dallas and Washington and in a near collapse in the fourth quarter against the Sparks. All while Johnson has played 7 minutes per game.
“I did notice something interesting here. At a time when they continue to stress defense, Raven Johnson’s minutes have gone down over the last couple of games,” Fever insider Scott Agness said on the “Fieldhouse Files.” “She’s a perimeter defender and just a rookie, so it’s a lot to ask of her. She played more minutes in Game 1, but since then she’s had a limited role in LA and tonight was held to just four minutes off the bench behind Tyasha Harris.”
Now, when the Fever was leaking points like a sieve against the Mystics, White still played Johnson for just 4 minutes. Harris played 10 minutes, giving them 2 points and an assist. Even if Johnson is uncooked, the Fever has already made the bet on her. They believe she can improve their defense and her years in South Carolina have shown she can. But it won’t matter if she is not on the court during pivotal moments.
In addition, almost all her minutes came in the first half and not in crunch time when they needed some stops. To make matters worse, they also lost Aliyah Boston in the third quarter to an injury and she did not return, leaving the defense depleted. All the more reason to question why Raven Johnson was not used.
There are matchup considerations like the tall lineup of the Mystics. But even Makayla Timpson also played only 4 minutes in a game where they needed her size and athleticism. Then the final play, where they needed a three to win and a two to tie, was also drawn up for Kelsey Mitchell instead of Caitlin Clark.
She had already hit one game-tying three and Mitchell missed one in the first game . There is a reason Fever fans are falling out of the Stephanie White train, as these rotations and decisions are questionable at the least. In addition, her lack of praise for Clark is also not a good look for the coach.
Stephanie White Faces Backlash Over Caitlin Clark Comments
Caitlin Clark did what a superstar does. She pulled Indiana Fever back into that game almost on her own. A 17-point fourth quarter along with 2 assists, where she shot 5 of 7 from three, including the game-tying shot from the wing. Yet, White refused to praise her player in the press conference thereafter.
White was asked about Clark’s late-game surge. The question was specifically about Clark but White didn’t directly acknowledge her star player and instead chose to talk about the team.
“Yeah Steph, what did you think of the rally that your team had in the fourth quarter, really when it comes to Caitlin? I think she had five threes in that fourth quarter, more than her first two games combined. So, just your thoughts on the resilience from her,” the reporter asked.
“I thought our whole group showed resilience in that rally. We showed the ability to make tough shots. We had some really good time and score execution moments, offensively and defensively you know in those moments, we just have to have more of it consistently,” White responded.
Clark has been battling multiple problems all at once. She was injured for the majority of last season with multiple soft tissue injuries. Only recently she has started trusting her body. She has admitted to mental health concerns and working with a sports psychologist. Clark has been questioned at every step of her career.
A pat on the back from her coach on a public platform could have helped her confidence further. Ultimately, this is still an interpretation from fans and a narrative. Things could be perfectly fine between White and Clark behind closed doors. But, this is still not a good look for the coach.
“Why, as a coach, can you not just praise your players. And on top of that, your franchise player, your star player, the one who is filling seats for this franchise, the one who has been battling back from injuries, the one who is the most scrutinized player in the WNBA?” Rachel DeMita said on her latest podcast.
It’s clear Stephanie White is under the gun just 3 games into the 2026 season. She still has time to flip these narratives. However, the microscope will remain as the Indiana Fever look to challenge for the title.
