Caitlin Clark made Raven Johnson want to quit basketball all together with the most blatant sign of on-court disrespect during the Final Four. Now they are teammates with the Indiana Fever.
Awkward!
These two former rivals have to put their drama behind them in the WNBA. It is an unexpected reunion!
Caitlin Clark waved off Raven Johnson.
This women’s college basketball rivalry dates back to March 31, 2023. No. 2 seed Iowa played No. 1 seed South Carolina during the Final Four of March Madness in Dallas, Texas.
Clark, who played four years for the Hawkeyes, was a junior. Johnson, who played five years for the Gamecocks, was a redshirt freshman. The former averaged 27.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 34.4 minutes per game that season. The latter averaged 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game that season.
More specifically, Raven Johnson averaged only 24.1% shooting from beyond the arc so Caitlin Clark did not even give her the time of day.
Johnson had the ball out by the three-point line. She was all alone. Clark was going to step out and guard her, looked at who it was, and decided to stay down by the key instead. She waved her off. It was savage.
Iowa is savage pic.twitter.com/NIyDNXhHB1
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) April 1, 2023
Not only was the actual wave deflating to Johnson’s confidence, the subsequent bullying made her think about quitting the sport all together. The mockery was ruthless.
Talk about adding fuel to the fire…
— I AM ATHLETE (@IAMATHLETEpod) March 28, 2026
In 2023 Raven Johnson went VIRAL for being waved off by Caitlin Clark at the 3 point line 🤯
Raven told us how that moment came full circle 😤‼️ pic.twitter.com/HFCMaNnOlp
However, Johnson ultimately got the last laugh. She played lockdown defense on Clark during the national title game a year later and FaceTimed Angel Reese to celebrate the victory.
“That get back a MF,” the national champion posted on Instagram.
To the victor went the spoils. It was a full-circle moment from the initial wave off to hoisting the trophy.
And it has since come full circle once again…
The Indiana Fever drafted her into the WNBA.
Raven Johnson became a star at South Carolina while Caitlin Clark is obviously doing her thing in the league. Now they are teammates.
Johnson was drafted into the WNBA by the Indiana Fever with the No. 10 overall pick on Monday night. Head coach Stephanie White was fired up even though a large portion of the fanbase thought there were better players still available.
This means that Clark and Johnson will now play in the same backcourt. The same person who made Johnson want to quit basketball is her newest teammate. The same person who FaceTimed Clark’s biggest hater to mock her for losing the national championship game is her newest teammate.
I am sure these two will get along just fine, because they are adults, but their history makes the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft one of the most interesting draft picks of all-time. What a plot twist!