Story by
Fever GM Amber Cox Addresses WNBA Draft Pick of Raven Johnson Amid Fan Backlash
- Story by
- Fever GM Amber Cox Addresses WNBA Draft Pick of Raven Johnson Amid Fan Backlash
The Indiana Fever 's 2026 roster is shaping up. After a set of big-name free agent signings that included Kelsey Mitchell , Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham , Indiana added three more players on Monday via the WNBA Draft.
The Fever selected Vanderbilt shooting guard Justine Pissott 25th overall in the second round. They followed up that pick with shooting guard Jessica Timmons out of Alabama as the 40th overall pick.
Advertisement
The big news out of the draft, however, is Indiana's first-round pick. They went with point guard Raven Johnson, who is coming off a national championship game loss with the South Carolina Gamecocks earlier this month.
South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson drives with the ball against the Texas Longhorns.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Fever fans welcomed the selection of the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson's addition is expected to provide a significant upgrade on the defensive end for the backcourt.
More than a few supporters, however, were not happy with that decision. The Fever's front office is now facing significant pushback after they chose to go with Johnson as opposed to a few other players who were still available at that point in the draft.
Advertisement
Indiana general manager Amber Cox is delighted with the selection, though. In fact, the high-ranking team executive admitted that they were pleasantly surprised when it was their turn to pick at 10th.
"Raven is somebody that we thought would probably go in the top 4 or 5," Cox said, via Fever reporter Tony East of Forbes Sports .
Cox and the Fever clearly kept an eye out for Johnson. They initially believed that the 5-foot-8 guard would come off the board much earlier than she did, which is why they pounced on the opportunity once she was still available at 10th.
Advertisement
Johnson is coming off a memorable five-year career with South Carolina, which included two national championships. The AP All-American guard averaged 9.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 triples as a senior last season.
Related: Natasha Howard Responds to Fever GM After Leaving Indiana
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 14, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
