‘I Love Them,’ ‘Admire How Far They’ve Come’ — Hoops World Melts Over Caitlin Clark, Raven Johnson’s Full-Circle Fever Moment
· Yahoo Sports
Raven Johnson once had one of the most difficult moments of her college career against Caitlin Clark. Three years later, the former South Carolina star is now Clark’s teammate with the Indiana Fever, listening to the same player who once waved her off from the 3-point line encourage her during games.
Clark and Johnson’s growing chemistry has the WNBA world talking.
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Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson’s Full-Circle Moment Has Hoops Fans Emotional
Clark’s and Johnson’s unlikely journey came into focus after the three-time WNBA All-Star delivered a historic performance to keep the Fever’s season alive. Indiana beat the Las Vegas Aces 99-89 in Game 2, forcing a winner-take-all Game 3, with Clark putting up 27 points, 15 assists, and 7 rebounds.
Johnson also played her part in the win. The rookie gave Indiana some much-needed energy off the bench, finishing with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block on 3-of-5 shooting. She also nailed a buzzer-beating shot at halftime that pushed the Fever’s lead to 48-43.
It was only Johnson’s second WNBA playoff game, but she looked comfortable in the moment. After the game, she was asked about playing alongside Clark, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aliyah Boston.
“When you play with vets like Caitlin, Kelsey, and Aliyah,” Johnson said.
Clark immediately smiled and thanked Johnson for calling her a veteran.
Johnson then explained why playing alongside those veterans has been such a valuable experience, especially when the team faces adversity.
“But when you play with vets like them, when we lose, they get back to the drawing boards, so they make sure they’re on their P’s and Q’s. And they make sure they’re standing on us,” Johnson explained. “Like, Caitlin always in my ear, even in the game. Like, even when I make mistakes and I beat myself up, she’s always there, like, always in my ear.”
Those words carry a little more weight when you remember where Clark and Johnson’s relationship started.
Back in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Final Four, Clark and Iowa faced Johnson and an undefeated South Carolina team. Iowa handed the Gamecocks their first loss of the season, winning 77-73.
During the game, Clark left Johnson open beyond the 3-point line and waved her off, daring her to shoot.
The moment went viral and stayed with Johnson. She later revealed that it affected her so much that she considered quitting basketball and rewatched the clip more than 100 times.
Now, the two are teammates in Indiana and seem to gel seamlessly on the court.
Fans quickly picked up on the full-circle nature of it all. One summed it up perfectly, writing, “Your honor i love them.”
Johnson eventually got her chance to respond during the 2024 national championship game between Iowa and South Carolina, which she’d call her “get back” game. The highlight moment came in the second quarter, when Johnson got switched onto Clark.
With Clark trying to hold the ball for the final shot of the half, Johnson swiped it clean and took it the other way for a wide-open layup.
That history made one fan admit, “I have to admire how far they’ve come considering 2023 wasn’t that long ago.”
The popular basketball page Oh No He Didn’t posted a picture of the two teammates with the caption, “Raven and Caitlin years later…”
Another Fever fan reacted to Johnson’s growing relationship with Clark, writing, “Raven being Caitlin fav gamecock 😭 who would’ve thought.”
“Awwwwwww.” an X user wrote with a smiling face and heart emoji.
Another one captured just how unexpected the pairing once seemed, commenting, “Never would’ve imagined a duo of Caitlin Clark and Raven Johnson.”
Johnson, meanwhile, made it clear that she is enjoying the chance to learn from players who have already been through moments like this.
“So I’m learning that part, watching them,” she said. “So it feels great to just watch them and be a teammate with them.”
Johnson joined the Fever after being selected No. 10 overall in the WNBA Draft. The two-time national champion, alongside Clark, is now contributing to the Fever’s title effort as they prepare for the winner-take-all Game 3 in Las Vegas on Thursday.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.