Indiana Fever HC had a busy media availability day during the start of training camp, where she had nothing but good things to say about new signing Raven Johnson and Monique Billings.

In an interview held on April 21, White addressed how the newcomers have been adjusting to her playbook, especially commending their elite communication and defensive resiliency.

“Well, I mean, certainly what we knew is that she’s a bear on the defensive end of the floor,” White said of Johnson.

As for Billings, the Fever HC stated, "[Billings] is an elite communicator on the defensive end of the floor. There should not be mistakes in coverage because she is talking about it."

The Fever used their first-round pick on Johnson after drafting her as the No.10 overall pick. She has always been a key defensive player, winning the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in her final college season with South Carolina.

The two-time NCAA champion also featured on the AP All-American team after averaging 9.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 triples per game.

“I'm like a gnat on a ball every time,” the rookie said at Fever training camp Monday morning.

Her senior stats for 2025–26 showed that she could anchor the defense without being a liability on offense. She averaged 1.5 steals and 5.1 assists per game.

In stark contrast to Johnson, veteran Monique Billings brings in eight years of WNBA experience to Indianapolis. The 29-year-old has played 239 career games, averaging 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.

But these numbers do not do justice to what Billings can add to the team apart from squad depth. As White expressed, the 29-year-old is a major defensive asset and can also bring her experience in play during clutch situations.

Unexpectedly, both newcomers share a history with Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, albeit in very different cases.

Raven Johnson and Monique Billings have Crossed Paths with Caitlin Clark

Monique Billings only recently shared the court with Caitlin Clark in the FIBA Women's World Cup qualifiers, after CC's return from a long hiatus due to a groin injury.

"She brings a lot of energy. I thought her and Caitlin had really good chemistry at USA as well." White said about Billings.

However, the story once again changes drastically when we talk about Johnson's history with Clark.

In the 2023 NCAA Final Four between Iowa and South Carolina, an intense moment occurred where Clark did not guard Johnson, leaving her wide open to take a shot outside the arc, labeling Johnson a shooting liability.

While her stats that season backed Clark's judgment, the moment quickly went viral on social media, and Johnson was heavily criticised for it.

Now that they are teammates, training camp has been pretty normal for Johnson, who seems to have gelled with Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Sophie Cunningham, among her other teammates.

The Fever kickstart their season against Paige Bueckers and No.1 overall pick Azzi Fudd's Dallas Wings on May 9, and we might be seeing cameos from both newcomers.

Which new signing do you believe will have a bigger impact on the Indiana Fever next season?

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Utsav Gupta