Diamond Johnson, one of the top players in ACC women’s basketball is headed to the top program in MEAC basketball – Norfolk State University.
Johnson, a former ACC Sixth Player of the Year at NC State, announced on Tuesday that she would be transferring to Norfolk State.
“A lot of people think you always have to go to Power Five schools to get to your [dream], going to the WNBA, going pro,” Johnson told Lauren Dreher in her announcement video. “But I don’t think it always has to be like that. You can go to HBCUs, mid-majors. I think you can develop there and still chase your dreams.”
The 5’5 guard is a Philadelphia native that started her career at Rutgers as the sixth-best prospect in the 2020 class, according to ESPN. She averaged 17.6 points, four rebounds and two steals per game while shooting 51 percent and was named All-Big Ten rookie for the 2020-2021 season. She then transferred to NC State, where she averaged 10.8 points and 1.3 assists in 36 games en route to winning ACC Sixth Player of the Year.
Diamond Johnson started 22 of the 21 contests she played last season, averaging 12.3 points per game.
Johnson joins a Norfolk State University squad that has been on the rise for several seasons under head coach Larry Vickers. NSU went 26-7 last season, claiming the MEAC regular season and tournament titles, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. Now it has a bona-fide scorer that all teams will have to be aware of.