Norfolk State women’s basketball standout Diamond Johnson, one of the top HBCU athletes in the nation, is taking her game to the professional level.
Johnson made history at Norfolk State, leading the Spartans to back-to-back MEAC Tournament championships in 2024 and 2025. She helped Norfolk State, a rising HBCU basketball power, post a 30-5 record last season, the best in the program’s Division I history. The Spartans also finished with a perfect 16-0 record in MEAC play and ranked No. 5 in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
Johnson earned MEAC Player of the Year honors for the 2024-25 season. She averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Johnson was also one of the nation’s best defensive players, ranking fifth nationally in steals with 3.6 per game.
She surpassed 2,000 career points, a major milestone achieved against top-level competition, including teams from the Big Ten, ACC, and MEAC. Johnson set Norfolk State Division I records for most points in a season (663) and most 3-pointers in a season (70). She also earned MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors and was named to the Dawn Staley Award Watchlist and the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist.
Following her final college season, Johnson earned MVP honors at the Women’s College All-Star Game with a 21-point performance. She later received a training camp contract with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx.
Johnson recently signed a professional contract with Hefei of the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). Founded in 2002, the WCBA is the top women’s professional basketball league in China. Hefei competes in the league’s Group B division, which features nine teams.