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Indiana Fever Faces Fan Backlash After Drafting Raven Johnson 10th Overall
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- Indiana Fever Faces Fan Backlash After Drafting Raven Johnson 10th Overall
It's official. The Indiana Fever selected 5-foot-8 guard Raven Johnson as the 10th overall pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday night.
Johnson is coming off a memorable five-year career with the South Carolina Gamecocks , which included two national championships. Unfortunately, the 23-year-old just missed out on a third title on April 5. This is after the Gamecocks suffered a heartbreaking loss to the UCLA Bruins in the national championship game, 79-51.
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Nevertheless, Johnson left South Carolina with a decorated resume. The AP All-American guard is the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time SEC All-Defense team member, among other accolades.
South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson drives with the ball against the Texas Longhorns.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Fever took to social media to announce Johnson as their 10th pick in the draft.
"with the No. 10 pick in the @wnba Draf1t, we have selected @gamecockwbb guard Raven Johnson 🌟
"welcome to Indiana, @hollywood_raven," the Fever's Instagram post read.
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While some fans expressed their delight in the team's decision to draft Johnson, more than a few others were very disappointed about the move.
The Fever is now facing intense backlash from a good number of disgruntled fans.
"Are you kidding me????????" a comment on Instagram read.
"Idk why we took her ðŸ˜" another said.
"front office sucks," declared a user.
"Ain't no way yall like this????" a reaction read.
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"Unbelievable day... fire the whole FO and coaching staff," demanded another.
"Cotie was RIGHT THEREEEEEEEE why did we take raven bro ðŸ˜" expressed a supporter.
It is clear that some Fever fans had other players in mind for the 10th overall pick. One player who Indiana missed out on is UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez. She went fifth overall to the Chicago Sky , which did not sit well with the Indiana faithful .
Either way, the Fever get a solid backcourt addition in Johnson. She is expected to provide an upgrade on the defensive end opposite of Caitlin Clark 's heroics on offense.
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Related: Former Fever Player Has Four Words 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.
