Caitlin Clark’s college rival considered ‘quitting basketball’ but could join Fever’s returning stars

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The Indiana Fever have been reloading their roster for 2026 with some massive free agency moves.Re-signing star Kelsey Mitchell was said to be the top priority, and that deal was done late last week.Mitchell re-signed with the Fever ahead of deals for Hull and CunninghamGettyThe three-time All-Star has agreed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax contract and will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the franchise’s first player to earn more than $1m in salary.Soon after her comeback was confirmed, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham announced they would also be returning to Indiana.Together with superstar Caitlin Clark, they formed a dynamic trio on and off the court that has been dubbed ‘Tres Leches’ by fans, and will run it back in 2026.Free agency has been good to the Fever, and things could get even better in Monday night’s WNBA Draft.Indiana will pick at a modest 10th overall, having gone 24-20 across the 2025 regular season with a run to the playoff semifinals, despite an injury-hit year that saw Clark miss significant time.While the projected top talents will be off the board early, there are plenty of solid prospects in this year’s class, and the Fever will surely pickup a real contributor.In fact, ESPN’s Michael Voepel has tipped a former college rival of Clark to land with Indiana.Fever touted to take Caitlin Clark’s former rival in 2026 draftVoepel believes South Carolina’s Raven Johnson will be the name selected at No. 10.“It appears Johnson helped her draft stock plenty as a senior because of the traits she showed: leadership, maturity and resilience,” he wrote.“We saw those qualities throughout her career at South Carolina, but they were key in helping the Gamecocks reach the national championship game again and end UConn’s unbeaten season.Johnson has been tipped to land with the Fever in the 2026 WNBA DraftGetty“Johnson was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. She is very strong and can effectively guard a lot of different types of players.”Clark, indeed, is one person who knows all about Johnson’s game.The pair went toe-to-toe in college, and a 2023 Final Four meeting between the Gamecocks and Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes featured a very tense moment.In the first quarter, Johnson dribbled the ball to the three-point line, and expected the biggest star in women’s basketball to come and pressure her.But instead, Clark waved her opponent off, leaving her completely unguarded.Johnson appeared shocked but refused to take a wide-open shot, and the moment went viral, with many fans — and even Angel Reese — suggesting it was a sign of disrespect over her ability from range.Clark and Johnson have history that goes back to college meetingsGettyClark’s Iowa won that game, but the South Carolina prospect got her revenge a year later, when the two teams met again.In 2024, the Gamecocks beat the Hawkeyes in the National Championship game, and Johnson exorcised the demons of that infamous wave off.“All I have to say… is the revenge tour is over!” she shouted down a mic after the game.It’s fair to say Clark and Johnson have history, but they could soon be teammates on the Fever.Clark’s Hawkeyes won in 2023, but Johnson took revenge a year later with the GamecocksGettyAnd making it to the WNBA has not always been a given for the latter.Caitlin Clark clash left Raven Johnson doubting basketball careerSpeaking last month, Johnson admitted the toxic reaction to Clark’s viral wave off had her doubting basketball.“I was all over the internet,” the draft prospect said during an interview with I AM NEXT.“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 that I wasn’t… and I just thought I wanted to quit basketball at that time.Johnson has recently admitted she nearly quit basketball after a viral momentGetty“I wanted to go in this little bubble of isolation and just be by myself.”Johnson added that her ‘wonderful’ teammates helped her through a tough time, and kept her on the path to the WNBA.If her name is called by the Fever on Monday night, Clark will quickly switch from rival to teammate, and the pair will no doubt put the past behind them in search of a title.Stay up to date with the latest from the WNBA across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.