What was supposed to be a few playful minutes between Raven Johnson and Myisha Hines-Allen before the Indiana Fever’s biggest game of the season on Thursday has somehow turned into a much bigger conversation. A joke about A’ja Wilson, a public apology from Johnson, and speculation involving Dawn Staley have now brought the reporter who covered that lighthearted moment into the thick of the conversation.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
As Johnson apologized to Wilson after the Fever’s playoff run ended, Indianapolis Star reporter Brian Haenchen addressed the pre-Game 3 media session that led to the controversy. This was further amplified when Johnson’s college coach, Dawn Staley, took notice and fired back at Haenchen for his reporting. Haenchen then clarified his intent on X.
“Hi! Not sure if you read the story, but it was written yesterday following shootaround. That part of tweet you referenced was poorly worded, and I apologize — I clarified in a reply. But no, not a clickbait story. Just a fun pregame report,” Haenchen replied.
The whole thing began when Johnson made comments during the pregame media session with Myisha Hines-Allen, joking that her veteran teammate had a reputation for stirring things up on the court.
“I’m just a rage-baiter. That’s all I am,” Hines-Allen said during the exchange. Johnson at that moment couldn’t help but add, “And you do it with such a smile on your face.”
It was an otherwise playful moment between teammates. But Haenchen, in an article, addressed the speculation surrounding it.
“I wrote about the Raven Johnson and Myisha Hines-Allen media sesh Thursday that apparently got the rookie a talking-to from Dawn Staley. I don’t understand what the issue was. It was fun, lighthearted, and largely nondescript,” Haenchen wrote on X while sharing his article.
Staley’s quickly made it clear that she saw the situation differently.
“If you only knew… or thought outside of your box. Furthermore, if you’d just asked before assuming or reporting, there might be some truth to your article, but I’ll let you carry on,” Staley responded.
But that still leaves one question: How did Dawn Staley become part of Johnson’s apology?
Speculation over Staley’s involvement in Johnson’s public apology grew after the South Carolina coach responded to Johnson’s X post.
“Ray Ray I love you for life. You are a young talent that’s owning this moment. You did something in public and decided to apologize in public no matter who agrees or disagrees. Always remember your @GamecockWBB sisters will have love for you!” Staley wrote.
That message led to speculation that Staley, who coached Johnson at South Carolina for five years and also coached Wilson during her college career, had spoken to the Fever rookie about the situation. And while Staley did not explicitly say that she had given Johnson a “talking to,” her response suggested she knew more about what had happened than what was visible publicly.
However, the original interaction was never meant to be a serious confrontation. Johnson and Hines-Allen were among the Fever’s biggest contributors in their Game 2 victory over the Aces, with Hines-Allen helping set the tone physically while Johnson’s energy continued to make an impact.
The incident being referenced during the Hines-Allen-Johnson interview came late in the first quarter of the game. Tensions had already flared between Wilson and Hines-Allen. With the Aces leading 15-13, Hines-Allen — who was defending Wilson — was called for a personal foul on the Aces star. After the whistle, Hines-Allen gave Wilson a push from behind, prompting a brief exchange between the two before other Aces players intervened to keep things from escalating.
Wilson’s troubles didn’t end with that. Later, in the dying minutes of the fourth quarter, she was involved in a physical exchange with Sophie Cunningham. Wilson then noticed a fan in the stands yelling and pointing toward her. The Aces star began walking toward the fan while responding verbally, forcing teammates and security to step in and separate the two.
Wilson ended up getting a tech.
In the end, a few playful comments became far more complicated than anyone involved likely expected, because what began as teammates joking around ultimately sparked a conversation involving Johnson, Wilson, Dawn Staley, and the reporter who covered it.