After a long negotiating period between the league and the WNBAPA, which resulted in the ratification of a new collective bargaining agreement, the 2026 WNBA draft was held on Monday night.
UConn Huskies star Azzi Fudd was selected first overall, reuniting her with her college teammate and girlfriend Paige Bueckers. The Indiana Fever selected former South Carolina star Raven Johnson in the first round, pairing her with superstar Caitlin Clark.
Unfortunately for Johnson, Clark, and the Fever, there is already noise and drama surrounding how Clark and Johnson will mesh, as the two have a history dating back to their collegiate days.
In the 2024 Final Four, Clark famously refused to guard Johnson at the three-point line, electing instead to disregard her and “wave her off.” Johnson has spoken publicly in the past about how the moment affected her.
“I was all over the internet,” Johnson said in an appearance the “I AM NEXT” podcast in March. “That’s one reason I hate the internet now, because of that situation. I got bashed, I got bullied, I got called all these things I wasn’t, aka like a monkey and things like that, and I just think I wanted to quit basketball at that time, and I just wanted to go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.”
Fans online reacted to Johnson and Clark now being teammates.
“There are 25+ reasons that Fever pick was dumb for the franchise and for Raven herself. And we can get half of the reasons checked off before even getting to the on court side of things,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
She’s spent 3 yrs talking ad nauseam about how one incident almost made her quit the sport
And the person who did it to her IS YOUR STAR PLAYER!! Add in the fact that Caitlin fans dont like Raven. Ravens fans dont like Caitlin
You risking chemistry for defense in limited mins?
— Future Of The Retro (@TraeK_) April 14, 2026
“Small point guard who doesn’t produce much offensively is cheap and easier to find in free agent. The fever just signed a backup PG. A power forward/wing is expensive, harder to find and in need. The fever don’t scout internationally. There is no defending this move,” someone else added.
“But most importantly how could you draft someone who has ‘beef’ with your star player??? What about protecting the locker room and the fanbase? They’re already attacking Caitlin. There’s no way around this. Just stop it,” one fan added.
It’ll be interesting to see how Clark and Johnson move past the incident in pursuit of a common goal.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.