Raven Johnson Makes Opinion of Fever HC Stephanie White's Partner Very Clear

Raven Johnson spent five years building a decorated career at South Carolina, where she won two national championships and went 145-9 overall.

It took her fewer than three weeks to fit in with the Indiana Fever.

The Fever selected Johnson with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on April 13, and she immediately impressed once training camp opened on April 19.

Throughout Indiana’s three preseason games, Johnson showcased that she’s a complete guard beyond the staunch defense that made her the reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

Off the court, Johnson has also showcased that her magnetic personality translates seamlessly from college to the WNBA.

On Monday, the media scrum surrounding Johnson was busted up in laughter after she responded to a question about what she’s learned so far from Fever head coach Stephanie White.

“Oh, she’s funny,” Johnson said. “Oh! Don’t tell her this, but her wife came to practice the other day, and I was like, ‘Dang! You got some taste!’ She got a little bit of taste to her. Her wife is beautiful.”

On a serious note, Johnson said of White, “She teaches me a lot of things. She gets on me. I think she’s a great coach and a great person to go to, and I ask her a lot of questions.”

White’s partner is longtime ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters, and they share four sons. They have kept their relationship private, but White cited her family as heavily influencing her decision to come home to Indiana and become the Fever’s head coach.

“For those of us who have children, you know, you don’t get these years back, right?” White said during her introductory presser in November 2024. "You don’t get this time back. And my family sacrificed a lot of time with my children, and for them to now be able to have them around more often, for me to be closer to home, it was really important. There’s always a time in your life where you feel like everything needs to be grounded, everything needs to be centered, so that you can be where your feet are.”

White played for the Fever from 2000 to 2004 and is in her second stint on the Indiana sideline. She first served as a coaching assistant from 2011 to 2014, winning the Fever’s lone championship in 2012, and then served as head coach for the 2015 and 2016 seasons. She was most recently the Connecticut Sun’s head coach before returning to the Fever.

In her first season back in 2025, White led an injury-riddled Fever team - headlined by Caitlin Clark missing all but 13 games - to a 24-20 record. Indiana reached the WNBA semifinals before losing to the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces in five games.

The Fever will have a healthy Clark, and they re-signed All-Star guard Kelsey Mitchell and All-Star center/forward Aliyah Boston to retain their core this offseason. Johnson figures to contribute meaningful minutes as a rookie, as Indiana tries to capture another championship.

The Fever will host the Dallas Wings for their 2026 season opener on Saturday, May 9.

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This story was originally published May 4, 2026 at 7:55 PM.