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Indiana Fever selects Raven Johnson in 2026 WNBA Draft

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs04/14/26grant_grubbs_

The Indiana Fever selected former South Carolina guard Raven Johnson with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Johnson spent five seasons at South Carolina, amassing 154 career appearances and 117 starts.

Johnson started in all 40 of South Carolina’s games this past season. She averaged 9.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, while shooting 48.6% from the field and 39.8% from beyond the arc.

Johnson’s 40 starts in the 2025-26 campaign are the most in a single season in program history. For her efforts, she was an All-SEC Second-Team selection. Additionally, she was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a Third-Team All-American.

To pile on, Johnson is one of the most prolific passers in women’s college basketball history. She has multiple assist records, including the most assists in a single NCAA Tournament. Johnson’s individual achievements translated to team success during her career.

In Johnson’s five years at South Carolina, the Gamecocks posted a 180-11 overall record. Moreover, South Carolina won three SEC Tournaments, secured five regular-season conference titles and hoisted two national championship trophies.

Despite all of Johnson’s accolades, some critics have continued to doubt her WNBA potential. Earlier this year, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley vouched for Johnson’s ability to thrive at the professional level.

“People can break Raven’s game down but, at the end of the day, Raven’s a winner,” Staley said. “Doesn’t matter how many points she scores, doesn’t matter how many assists that she had, doesn’t matter how many steals. At the end of the day, she’s a winner. She’s always been a winner.

“She only speaks as, as a winner. She doesn’t care about anything else besides winning. Then, you know, with her on our roster, we’ve done nothing but won with her. … I do think she’s a pro. I do think the things that she does for our team translate to a pro lifestyle.”

Raven Johnson has already proven she’s a professional off the court. She boasted a $116,000 NIL valuation her senior year and has hundreds of thousands of followers on her social media accounts.

Johnson has landed NIL partnership with established brands, such as Aflac, Dunkin’ and Sephora. If Johnson is lucky, her five years at South Carolina were only the start of a long and prosperous career.