Being in the new UPSHOT League, which launched this summer, is a chance for Diamond Johnson to play in front of friends and family as well as continue to hone her game. The 24-year-old guard entered the pro world in 2025 after two outstanding years at Norfolk State University (she previously played at Rutgers and NC State), an HBCU in Virginia. During that time, the Spartans won two MEAC titles and made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament.
“An HBCU is about the heritage, the culture, and the community,” said Johnson, currently averaging 17.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2 steals per game for the Greensboro Groove. “When I committed to [playing] there, it was open arms. Even teammates I hadn’t met yet were hitting me up on Instagram, saying how much they wanted to play with me. The coaches brought the best out of me, allowed me to play my game and be that overall leader.”
Johnson was the MVP of the College All-Star Game held during the 2025 Women’s Final Four, scoring 21 points and shooting 9-of-13 from the field. Despite this, she was not selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft. The Minnesota Lynx did bring her into training camp. Although she was ultimately cut, it was a valuable experience. Earlier this year, she played in China and continues to build her game.
“I’ve always wanted to be a pro since I started playing basketball; that was kind of the goal,” Johnson said. “I expected to be drafted, so that was disappointing. Training camp with the Lynx was a good experience — I learned a lot and I was grateful for the opportunity. A lot of people let getting waived deter them and have a lack of confidence … but I kept moving forward and went overseas.”
Although there wasn’t a training camp offer this year, she’s relishing the opportunity to play with UPSHOT. “I’m enjoying the people,” she said. “Basketball is a small world, but these are a lot of people I haven’t seen or played with. It’s good for all of us to mesh together. This league provides another platform for us to showcase our talents … You get to play against a high level of competition. I’m definitely enjoying the experience.”
The Greensboro Groove are currently 5–11. The team next takes on the Savannah Steel on July 3.
After the UPSHOT season, Johnson will have a couple of months at home before heading overseas.
