Dawn Staley Sends Message to Fever After Raven Johnson's WNBA Debut

Dawn Staley coached Raven Johnson for five years at South Carolina, winning two national championships together, and repeatedly expressed how difficult it would be for her to say goodbye to Johnson.

“She’s gonna leave a big void, on the court and off the court,” Staley said in late February. “It’s losing probably the last member of the core group of historical classes that we’ve had. Her class is the one that started it all. And then, Aliyah [Boston]’s class came back, and they just formed a core group of players that didn’t lose a whole lot of basketball games and made my life easier.”

Johnson departed South Carolina with a 145-9 overall record, though the Gamecocks lost 79-51 to UCLA in the women’s NCAA Tournament national championship game on April 5.

By April 13, Staley accompanied Johnson to the 2026 WNBA Draft, where the IndianaFever selected Johnson with the 10th overall pick. Staley hugged Johnson as she officially left the nest, but that doesn’t mean Staley can’t still coach her up from afar.

The Fever visited the New York Liberty to play their first of three preseason games on Saturday afternoon. The Fever won, 109-91, but it’s preseason, so who cares? Staley was more interested in Johnson’s demeanor on the WNBA floor.

“@HollywoodRaven I know it’s only a WNBA preseason game, but baby, you look comfortable,” Staley posted on X. “You are and have been built for the moment. Elite defender. Check! Elite PG. Check! Elite playmaker. Check! I am filled with joy & proudness watching you play! @IndianaFever you got a real 1!”

Staley sent a similarly encouraging tweet to former South Carolina guard and newly drafted Los Angeles Sparks rookie Ta’Niya Latson, as seen here.

Johnson finished her first WNBA game with six points on 3-of-3 shooting, eight assists, three rebounds, two blocks, and one steal in 18 minutes off Indiana’s bench.

The Fever will open their 2026 regular season against the Dallas Wings on May 9.

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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 10:13 PM.