Stephanie White Has Reality Check for Raven Johnson
Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White wasted no time delivering an honest assessment of rookie guard Raven Johnson.
Six games into the 2026 WNBA season, the reserve guard out of South Carolina is getting her first real taste of professional basketball. White believes the reality check Johnson is experiencing is exactly what she needs.
On a recent appearance on the "Query & Company" podcast, White pinpointed the biggest adjustment facing the 23-year-old.
"I think she's been really good," White said. "Obviously, there are going to be some growing pains. Certainly, she's not going to be able to get away with taking some of the chances that she did in college."
White identified the physicality of the league as another major factor.
"Now everybody's as fast as her," continued the veteran coach. "Now everybody's as strong as her. Now everybody has great length. And so I think there's a learning curve for every rookie. There's no doubt about it."
White has been easing Johnson into the rotation off the bench. The 10th overall pick of the 2026 WNBA Draft is averaging 3.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 12.5 minutes per game.
She has served as a reliable reserve for superstarCaitlin Clark through Indiana's first six games.
White already sees the promise, though.
"But she impacts the game, and you can see it with her energy, with her unselfishness, and the ability to give us a different look on the defensive end," said the former WNBA Coach of the Year.
White already sees the promise and believes Johnson's best basketball is ahead of her.
"And I think she's really starting to come into her own in finding her ways to attack on offense. She's really becoming a very good downhill player," White added.
Beyond the learning curve, White sees a skill set taking shape that Indiana can use.
"And outside of Kelsey Mitchell, we don't really have one of those downhill players that can just get to the rim and make plays for themselves and for others," she said. "And I think she has the ability to develop into that."
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 11:23 AM.