Stephanie White’s honest Raven Johnson assessment said a lot about the Fever rookie
The Fever coach talked about her rookie following the first game.
Stephanie White’s honest Raven Johnson assessment said a lot about the Fever rookie originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The spotlight around the Indiana Fever has rarely been brighter.
Between the expectations surrounding Caitlin Clark and the excitement over Indiana’s revamped roster, even the team’s rookies are stepping into a pressure-filled environment from day one. That was especially true for first-round pick Raven Johnson, who made her regular-season debut in front of a packed home crowd during Indiana’s 107-104 loss to the Dallas Wings . And according to head coach Stephanie White, the moment may have been a little overwhelming at times.
White spoke candidly about Johnson’s debut this week, admitting she noticed some nerves from the rookie guard as she adjusted to the speed and intensity of her first WNBA game. Rather than criticizing Johnson harshly, though, White’s comments came across more like the observations of a coach trying to help a young point guard grow quickly in a demanding role. “A little bit of nerves, as you would expect,” White said.
“Sometimes it’s game one, it’s day one, it’s a different environment. ” That honesty actually revealed quite a bit about how the Fever view Johnson internally. Indiana clearly believes the former South Carolina standout can eventually become an important part of the rotation, especially as a backup ball-handler behind Clark.