Diamond Johnson Pivots To Sign With WCBA Team

Diamond had an outstanding final season with the Spartans, averaging 18.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 3.3 steals per game. Her remarkable performance during the season earned her the title of the 2024-25 MEAC Women's Basketball Player of the Year.

The Minnesota Lynx invited the undrafted Johnson to its training camp but released her in the final cuts before the start of the new season.  

By joining the WCBA's Hefei squad, the Neumann-Goretti high school legend follows a path often taken by many American players seeking competitive play and new opportunities. Former WNBA point guard Kiana Williams, a star at Stanford, played a short stint for Hefei before returning to the U.S.S.

The WCBA is recognized for its high level of competition and is one of the best professional leagues outside of the U.S. Johnson's signing not only highlights her determination to succeed at the professional level but also underscores the global reach of women's basketball and the increasing visibility of HBCU athletes on the international stage.

WNBA teams have lost several high-profile shooting guards. Many believed Johnson should have had a tryout to replace the fallen athletes.  

Nonetheless, her transition to the WCBA will be closely watched by HBCU sports fans and analysts, hoping she will make her mark in one of the world's premier women's basketball leagues.

Diamond Johnson's Accolades and Honors

• MEAC Tournament MVP (2024)
• MEAC All-Defensive Team (2024)
• First-team All-MEAC (2024)
• ACC Sixth Player of the Year (2022)
• Second-team All-ACC (2023)
• Second-team All-Big Ten (2021)
• Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2021)
• Gold Medal - U.S. Team at 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup

Additional Diamond Johnson Coverage:

MIA BERRY KNOWS DIAMOND JOHNSON CAN PLAY IN THE WNBA

It's safe to say Mia Berry knows sports, especially HBCU women's basketball. Andscape's HBCU journalist believes "multiple names" could be called during Monday's 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards in New York City.

"The WNBA has shown over the last few years that they are willing to look at these HBCU players," Berry said. "I think this year we get two. I think we get Diamond Johnson out of Norfolk State," and later, she mentioned "Zaay Green" as a potential draftee.

Diamond Johnson has the innate talent every scoring threat should have — FEARLESSNESS. The Libby's Women's College Basketball All-Star Game MVP proved she belongs on the big stage as a professional ball player.

Johnson opened the first two-quarters of the all-star match with four points. We're not sure which Hall of Fame coaches on Team Miller — Cheryl Miller or Cynthia Cooper — sparked the fire Diamond Johnson used to torch Team Lieberman, but whoever it was, it worked.

She came out in the second half scoring 17 points, including delivering the game-winner at 71 points. Her leadership guided Team Miller to victory; however, she's performed at this level for Coach Larry Vickers and the Norfolk State Spartans since transferring in 2023.

Berry remarked about Johnson, "Someone asked me, what is your unbiased and biased opinion about Diamond? They're like, unbiased? I really feel like she should go no later than the middle-to-late second round. I'm looking at her talent. Diamond actually improved under [Larry] Vickers. A lot of elements of her game; her mid-range is so fluid now. She's become a little more consistent from beyond the arc." Berry continued, "She's learning how to feed her teammates... you can see the development. I believe people are going to take note of that."

One of the key attributes of many rookies is that they are still raw. Diamond Johnson will likely come in and focus on improving her game like any other newcomer. So, don't expect her to impact her team immediately; give it some time.

However, for many of her HBCU sports fans, Diamond is already legendary. If an owner, general manager, or scout decides to reach out to her this Monday, it could be one of their wisest choices.

More Diamond Johnson coverage

Diamond Johnson Shines Bright, Named MVP At 2025 Women's College All-Star Game

Norfolk State's guard Diamond Johnson scored 21 points and was named the Women's College All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player after leading Team Miller to a 71-59 victory over Team Lieberman at Hillsborough Community College in the Tampa, Florida area.

Johnson also buried the game-winning shot to give Team Miller the win at 71 points.

The HBCU women's basketball star out of Norfolk State definitely caught the attention of WNBA pro scouts with her outstanding performance. She only had four points going into halftime before taking over the game for Team Miller with 17 points in the second half. 13-of-17 second-half points were in the 4th quarter by the 2025 HBCU Legends Women's Basketball Player of the Year.

Johnson was the top scorer with 21 points, shooting 9-of-13 from the field and confidently hitting 2-of-4 from three-point range. The two-time MEAC Player of the Year also contributed four rebounds and two steals in just fifteen minutes of play.

Daiza Lawrence of Team Miller scored 9 points, while Lucy Olsen, Khadija Faye, and Megan McConnell each contributed 8 points.

Harmoni Turner was the leading scorer for Team Lieberman with 15 points. However, the team struggled with shooting efficiency against Team Miller, hitting only 28% of their shots, going 17-for-61 overall and just 3-for-15 (20%) from three-point range.

Team Lieberman's next two top scorers were DeYona Gaston, who scored 9 points, and Alyssa Ustby, who added 7 in the loss.

Johnson is expected to attend the 2025 HBCU All-Star Women's Game in San Antonio, Texas on Sunday afternoon at Freeman Coliseum.

NORFOLK STATE NEWS