Fever's 2026 WNBA Draft Class Earns Intriguing Grade From ESPN

The Indiana Fever's 2026 roster is pretty much set, but they really solidified their depth and added a nice piece for the future in Round 1 of the 2026 WNBA draft.

The Fever selected South Carolina point guard Raven Johnson 10th overall, and they followed that up by grabbing Vanderbilt shooting guard Justine Pissott 25th overall and Alabama shooting guard Jessica Timmons 40th overall.

While the trio of rookies likely won't see much playing time next season behind a loaded roster that features Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Monique Billings, Lexie Hull, and Aari McDonald, they do represent a solid rookie class that earned a B+ grade from ESPN's Michael Voepel.

"We have no qualms with taking Johnson in the first round," Voepel stated. "She was the best available defensive guard, one who can guard a variety of players - and she’s a good rebounder at her size, too. She also had her best offensive season as a senior, averaging 9.9 points and 5.1 assists. Her energy will fit great with the Fever.

"Pissott is an interesting pick because of her 3-point shooting at her size. She made a career-best 95 3s this season, shooting 42.2% from beyond the arc. Timmons is also a good long-range shooter, making 74 3s this past season as she averaged a career-best 16.3 points."

Johnson averaged nearly 10 points per game along with 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.5 steals per game for the Gamecocks, who finished as runner-up to national champion UCLA last season.

Given the season-ending injuries suffered by Clark, Cunningham, McDonald, and Sydney Colson last year, it was probably wise for the Fever to load up on guards heading into 2026.

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This story was originally published April 16, 2026 at 7:21 PM.