Caitlin Clark and Sheryl Swoopes have always been on opposite sides of the boat, and Raven Johnson might be the latest source of their widening bond. It all started with the Fever selecting Raven Johnson in the WNBA draft, a player CC has a past history with. Because of it, tension was already building, and it was further fueled by Clark’s silence in the media regarding the signing, prompting Swoopes to show where her stance lies.
It tipped off when basketball media personality Mariah Rose recently addressed the Clark-Johnson situation. Speaking on her podcast, Rose called out Clark for not sharing an anti-racist post or a post of any kind for Johnson, especially when the latter faced immense racist comments after the duo’s standoff back in 2023. “She (Raven Johnson) was the player that Clark waved off at the three-point line, like I’m not even going to guard you,” Rose said. “What I have a problem with is what came after: Raven wanting to quit basketball because of the hate she received from Caitlin Clark fans, who called her a ******.
“It is your responsibility to make an anti-racist statement..Directly address it. Guess what people tell me, Caitlin’s addressed it before, Caitlin’s not racist, make it very clear where you stand,” Rose added further. While the comment perfectly echoes Rose’s statement, the surprise quotient came when Swoopes liked the post, hinting that she aligns with Rose’s viewpoint in this backlash.
Clark and Johnson’s moment dates back to the 2023 Final Four, when Clark made a wave-off gesture in a way refusing to defend the latter, which sent Johnson into a tumultuous stretch. The incident led to widespread hate against Johnson on social media, leading her into depression. While she came back strongly the following year, the incident left a mark of gigantic proportions on her collegiate career.
And after all these years, as the two players finally reunite in the Indiana Fever, this moment is yet again finding its prominence. And a section of the hoops community, including Rose and Sheryl Swoopes, feels that CC, as the senior player, should have at least broken the ice with a welcome post and cleared the air that she isn’t hesitant to share the backcourt alongside Johnson.
As for the racism, it’s important to note that Clark has repeatedly expressed her dissent against it. For instance, in her rookie season, CC urged that “nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful (or) hateful comments and threats.” And Swoopes and Rose feel that Clark was required to take a similar stance toward Johnson, specifically after all the back-and-forth the duo went through, which she didn’t, leading to some heat against the Indiana Fever guard and raising questions about her leadership in the Fever locker room, being one of the most reliable voices in the franchise.
But this isn’t even the first time that Swoopes has showcased her dissent against Clark. There have been numerous instances in the past when Swoopes has lashed out at Clark in the media. One of them came back in 2024 when Clark broke Kelsey Plum’s record for the all-time collegiate scoring leader, taking over Kelsey Plum’s position, or even calling Clark out after the Fever guard made a flagrant foul on Angel Reese.
“If Kelsey Plum set that record in four years, well, Caitlin should’ve broken that record in four years,” Swoopes had said. “But because there’s a COVID year, and then there’s another year, you know what I mean? So she’s already had an extra year to break that record. So, is it truly a broken record?”
While Swoopes’ justification was incorrect, as Clark, like Plum, competed for just four years at Iowa, this stance against CC seems quite perennial. That’s a tale for another day, though. The most important million-dollar question at this time is how Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson will cope on the same team after their past history. The rookie Fever guard might have a diplomatic yet sharp answer.
Raven Johnson Is Buying Into Caitlin Clark’s ‘Winning Mentality’ Rather Than Back-and-Forth Media Tussle
It’s just a matter of days before we get to know how Clark and Johnson link up on the same team after their past history. But for now, Johnson has made her focus clear: Clark’s skill sets rather than the past incidents between them. Speaking in a recent interview, the former South Carolina guard has set her priorities clear on being on the same team with CC.
“She is a phenomenal player,” Johnson said when asked about Clark. “I mean, with the things she does, it’s bar standard. She can shoot the ball, can lead a team, and they win. Like, she has a winning mentality. And I think that’s the biggest thing.”
Now there’s no doubt that Johnson will get to learn a lot from a backcourt maestro like CC. But the only thing that matters is that both players can forget the past between them completely and strive to make the team better for the 2026 season.
In a similar vein, Clark and Johnson’s teammate on the Indiana Fever, Aliyah Boston, has also cleared the air about the Clark-Johnson situation. “I think it’s going to be fine,” Boston said. “Everyone has their thoughts, but when you’re in the gym and you’re ready to hoop, that’s literally all it is.”
From an on-court perspective, there’s no doubt that Johnson’s addition shapes the dynamics of the Indiana Fever for good. With Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell leading the way in the backcourt, players like Johnson, Sophie Cunningham, and Lexie Hull are just icing on the cake for the Indiana Fever.
The team’s training camp is already underway as they prepare for their pre-season games against the New York Liberty and the Dallas Wings, where we can see Clark and Johnson share the court together for the first time with the Indiana Fever.
