ATLANTA — Raven Johnson has a slate of things she needs to do every time she returns, now in her rookie season with the Indiana Fever, to her hometown of Atlanta.
She makes sure to carve out some time with her family, visit some of her favorite spots and even freshen up with appointments.
“Being back in Atlanta, it means a lot,” Johnson said ahead of the Fever’s 95-91 overtime win over the Dream on Sunday. “You think of the culture, you think of hip hop, the style, the swag, and every time I come to Atlanta, I have my hair done, I just refresh. It’s like a breath of fresh air.”
Returning to Atlanta this weekend gave Johnson an opportunity to give back to her community, too, returning the favor after all they gave to her while growing up.
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The Fever started a five-game, seven-day road trip in Atlanta, and Johnson partnered with Open Hand and Anthem to deliver prepared food boxes to her community directly after getting off the plane in her hometown. Fever development player Bree Hall and Atlanta players Te-Hina Paopao and Madina Okot — all of whom were teammates in college at South Carolina — joined Johnson on the trip.
“When I was a young girl, people gave back to me, so I try to just follow the same footsteps,” Johnson said. “You never know who you might cross, and you never know who you might impact. (On Saturday) I seen a lady cry just by giving her food and a goodie bag. She said that was the best day of her life, and I thought that it was just the best thing ever. So you never know who you might touch.”
Johnson also took a trip to Wheeler Mission, an organization for people experiencing poverty and homelessness in Indianapolis that the Fever partner with frequently, to serve food on Indiana’s off day Aug. 12.
It’s something Johnson, who said she’s been living in a dream since she became a pro, wanted to do to build community in her new state. Her rookie-scale deal with Indiana will keep her a part of the Fever for at least three years.
“I wouldn’t rather be on any other team,” Johnson said. “I’m learning a lot from Kelsey (Mitchell), Caitlin (Clark), it’s been a vet-led team. I can say that I’m learning a lot more about myself and the pro game, and not just on the court, but I’m learning a lot about off the court things, like how to be a great person, how to be a pro.”
Chloe Peterson is the Indiana Fever beat reporter for IndyStar. Reach her at chloe.peterson@indystar.com. Get IndyStar’s Indiana Fever and Caitlin Clark coverage sent directly to your inbox with our Caitlin Clark Fever newsletter. Subscribe to IndyStar TV: Fever for in-depth analysis, behind-the-scenes coverage and more.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Raven Johnson wants to give back to Indianapolis, hometown of Atlanta
Reporting by Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
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By Chloe Peterson, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
