The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1456098
MARCH/APRIL 2022 ■ 39 Somewhere among the streets of Philadelphia is one called "Diamond," where a young basketball player first sparkled. "See that?" Dana Brooks told her daughter, pointing to the street sign outside their home in North Philly. "It means something special. Diamonds are rare. Dia- monds are different. "That's why I gave you that name." For Diamond Johnson, NC State women's basketball's gem-in-waiting, living up to that description has not been hard, at least when she was on the playground courts in her neighborhood or at the private Catholic school where she became a top-10 prospect or when she was invited to compete against the best male recruits in the country at the 24K Showcase at the 2020 Allen Iverson Roundball Classic, a pioneer - ing opportunity that was ultimately canceled because of the COVID pandemic. Though undersized at 5-5, she has never been overmatched on the court. One thing she is not is a diamond in the rough. Her game is polished and sound, her scoring potential enormous, with the Phila- delphia flair of former Wolfpack All-American Linda "Hawkeye" Page or Virginia All- American, Olympic gold-medal winner and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. However, before the sophomore transfer from Rutgers could become the future of NC State women's basketball, she had to wait her turn on the bench, a sixth starter in a five-player game. It was something she really hadn't anticipated when she made the decision to leave her first school to join the Wolfpack. That's because the NCAA granted last year's seniors an extra year of eligibility un - der COVID-19 accommodations, clogging up the opportunities for underclassmen while giving upperclassmen a chance to make up for some of the time they lost when college athletics shut down in the spring of 2020 due to the global pandemic. For Johnson, that meant a full season spent playing behind graduate student Raina Perez, hero of the Wolfpack's 2021 ACC title game victory over Louisville. It wasn't something she worried about as she folded into the lineup of the league's two-time defending champion. "I already knew some of the players here, through recruiting and playing against them," Johnson said. "I knew I was going to fit in with them. They have been very accepting of me, helping me learn about the program and how things are done. "It's been really easy to fit in with everyone." Johnson is a player Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore wanted for his team for a long time. He recruited her hard out of South Philly's Neumann Goretti High School and still has traumatic memories of the time she called him while he was sitting in Carter-Finley Stadium during an NC State football game to tell him she was going to Rutgers. In the current state of the NCAA, however, no door is ever closed now that the transfer portal is open. Johnson had a tremendous freshman season for legendary Scarlet Knights coach C. Vivian Stringer, averaging 17.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 as - sists and 2.3 steals per game. She was named to the 2021 Big Ten All-Freshman team and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection. She reached double figures in 17 of her 19 games, hit her career-high of 26 twice and finished among the top 10 nationally in three-point shooting average (45.5 percent). While the Knights finished the season in the top 25 with a 14-5 overall record and a 10-3 mark in Big Ten play, they lost in their opening game of the Big Ten Champi - onship and NCAA Tournament. Johnson was more interested in joining a program that was already in the top 10. "I want to win a national championship, to go further in the tournament," she said. "The decision was about winning for me, and this was a program that wanted me here to help do that." However, to reach that personal goal, Johnson had to step out of the spotlight, ceding it to seniors Elissa Cunane, Kayla Jones, Kai Crutchfield and Perez — all of whom had key roles as the Wolfpack won back-to-back ACC Tournament titles in 2020 and '21. Even though she started only one game, Johnson has performed well in her re - serve role during the regular season, averaging 11.2 points a game, which ranked second on the team, while adding 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. She continued to shoot well both at the free throw line (82.8 percent) and beyond the three-point arc (36.1 percent), and was obviously an integral part in the Wolfpack's first regular-season ACC championship since 1990. "Once I got into this role, it was very easy to accept," Johnson said. "The rotation just worked so well. I have been a starter before and played well, but this season has been cool. I think it has been successful for me and for the team. "It just fit." There were even times when she and the 5-4 Perez played together in the Wolf - pack backcourt, a lineup that had some defensive liabilities, but was an explosive offensive machine. For Moore, getting a second shot at recruiting Johnson and having her join the team couldn't have been more perfect, especially as he builds the future of his program. "She's been great about accepting her role in our lineup," he said. "She had a great freshman year, where she was the focal point of what [Rutgers] was doing, and then she comes here and has to accept a role of coming off the bench. "She's been a great teammate, and all the players love her. She's been a great part of this group and she is going to help us in the transition without this [senior] group. You can't ask for much more than that." For Johnson, the team success of this year is what she was looking for and she recognizes that next year will be another opportunity to dazzle, as she has done her entire basketball life. — Tim Peeler A Diamond Off The Bench Sophomore Diamond Johnson has been a spark plug off the bench for the Wolfpack, averaging 11.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game during the regular season. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS