Rookie Guard Gets High Praise From Caitlin Clark And Stephanie White Following Indiana Fever’s Devastating Game 1 Loss To Aces

Raven Johnson gave the Indiana Fever one bright spot on a rough Sunday in the playoffs. The rookie guard scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting in her postseason debut, and it did not go unnoticed. Both Caitlin Clark and coach Stephanie White showered their praise on the newcomer after the game.

Las Vegas won 102-85 to take Game 1 of the first-round series, and Indiana now faces elimination on Tuesday. Even so, the postgame talk kept returning to a bench guard who gave the team something it badly needed.

Why Raven Johnson Got The Call In Game 1 Against The Aces

Backup Tyasha Harris went down with a season-ending leg injury in the final regular-season game, which left a real hole in the rotation. Before the playoffs began, White said Raven Johnson could help fill it. Game 1 gave the Fever coach the first chance to find out.

Johnson checked in for 22 minutes off the bench. The two-time NCAA champion at South Carolina finished with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting. The rookie also had one assist, two steals and a three-pointer. Those numbers stood out on a night when Kelsey Mitchell hit only 4 of 16 shots for 12 points.

The rest of the evening belonged to Las Vegas. A'ja Wilson, the reigning WNBA MVP, tied a playoff career high with 38 points on 15-of-19 shooting. Wilson also pulled down 16 rebounds and blocked four shots. Indiana had no answer for her. Caitlin Clark finished with a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists, and Aliyah Boston led the Fever with 18. It was not enough.

"I thought Raven did great," White said postgame. "I think she came in and she gave us the lift that we needed on both ends of the floor. I thought her energy was really good."

Caitlin Clark Sees Raven Johnson As Someone Indiana Can Count On

White had given the 5-foot-8 guard significant minutes in a first WNBA playoff game, and Clark liked how the rookie used them.

"Yeah, Raven was fantastic," Clark said. "Obviously, offensively she was great.

"But I thought her defensive intensity was really, really good, and that's what we're going to need. She's somebody that puts in the work and somebody you can count on.

"So just happy for her to come in and play as well as she did."

Look at where Clark put the weight. Offense got a quick nod. Defense got the longer answer. The Aces scored 102, and Wilson alone had 38 of those points, so a call for more defensive intensity carries real meaning. Clark also said the team is going to need it, which points straight at Game 2.

The Fever host Game 2 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, with tipoff set for 6:30 p.m. ET.