Norfolk State alum Diamond Johnson’s goal is the WNBA. The Upshot League may help her get there.
She finished the new domestic league’s inaugural season as its second-leading scorer
For former Norfolk State standout Diamond Johnson, every game she played over the summer in Upshot, a new domestic professional women’s basketball league, offered a chance to show she belongs in the WNBA.
The Upshot League, which finished its inaugural season in late August, includes a mix of international players, WNBA alums and former collegiate stars such as Johnson. She is, however, the league’s only former HBCU player.
“It’s a very gritty league. You’re gonna push them, you’re gonna get pushed and bumped,” she said. “It’s very physical, which I love. … It just provides another platform and provides another opportunity to show your game and to grow your game.”
While competing with Upshot’s Greensboro Groove team, Johnson showed why she was one of the most decorated athletes in HBCU women’s basketball during her Norfolk State career. She finished the season ranked second in the league in scoring (16.0 points per game) and assists (3.8 per game) and was first in steals (2.2 per game).
“My goal was to shine my light on HBCU players. … There’s talent there on an HBCU level as well,” she said.
Zaay Green, who spent three seasons at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff before finishing her college career at Alabama, is the only former HBCU player currently on a WNBA roster after signing a developmental contract with the Toronto Tempo in August.
After being cut from the Minnesota Lynx’s training camp in May 2025 – just two months after being named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year – Johnson signed with the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association (WCBA). She headed overseas in November 2025 and spent six months competing in the WCBA, navigating language and cultural barriers while looking to play her way into another shot at the WNBA. Then Upshot came calling.
Johnson, who averaged 14.7 points per game in China, said she noticed improvements in her game during the Upshot season.
“My IQ has gotten way better, especially off the ball screen reads,” Johnson said. “I’ll say 95 to 98% of basketball involves a ball screen or handoffs or whatever, and just being able to make those reads consistently, whether it’s scoring or passing it.”
Johnson isn’t the only person on the Greensboro Groove with roots at a historically Black college or university. Groove coach Janice Washington spent four seasons (2021-25) as head women’s basketball coach at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Groove assistant coach Trinese Fox previously coached Johnson for two seasons as an assistant at Norfolk State, where they won two MEAC tournament championships together.
“I understand Coach Fox, probably more than any coach that I’ve played with. I’ve played for you, and that’s always a plus on my end because I can understand what’s going on in her mind,” Johnson said. “Getting to know Coach J [Washington], we’ve been together for months now so [we’re] still building that relationship, but the HBCU connection is there for sure.”
During May, the league’s first month of play, Johnson was the top scorer, which didn’t surprise her coaches.
“She was getting trapped and getting the most attention on her at that time. Just to see her grow in front of my eyes, like, to take on that responsibility, and still be productive … she demands that respect wherever she goes,” Fox said.
“I think she is very adaptable with trying to figure out how she can put her fingerprints on [a] game and impact – whether that’s leading the team in assists or rebounding or in every statistical category, not just scoring.”
With the Greensboro Groove being based in North Carolina, a state home to nearly a dozen historically Black colleges and universities, Washington and Fox hope to use their connections to scout players and expand the pool of HBCU alums competing in Upshot next season. The league, which launched with four teams, will include expansion franchises in Baltimore and Nashville in 2027.
“We’re having local tryouts … so that HBCU players can be there and be present in front of these coaches,” Washington said. “Being able to be in front of the seven or eight coaches that are there for next summer’s event is something that’s important. … We’re building our rosters, and so it’s important for us to make sure that those players are on our radars.”
Washington and Fox have also been intentional about keeping Upshot players on the WNBA radar, speaking with WNBA teams and general managers throughout the season.
According to Fox, WNBA personnel believe it’s easier to sign players during the regular season, when many are already playing stateside instead of overseas. With the Upshot season ending in August, players remain available for WNBA teams to sign late in the regular season or for the playoffs.
In July, Charlotte Crown player Michelle Onyiah became the first Upshot athlete to earn a WNBA contract when the Indiana Fever signed her as a developmental player. In August, Greensboro Groove guard Christyn Williams signed a developmental player contract with the Dallas Wings, and Jacksonville Waves guard Shyanne Sellers and Savannah Steel guard Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda both signed developmental contracts with the Los Angeles Sparks.
“The more this league grows, the more it can kind of be a funnel toward the WNBA,” Fox said. “[Oniyah’s contract] is great for her, great for the [Upshot] league. I think it gives the players like Diamond and other people on our team hope – just keep the faith and keep doing what you’re doing. It shows that the GMs and coaches in the WNBA are looking and watching.”
Without Upshot, Johnson said she would’ve likely spent her summer training at home. Instead, she has spent the past four months compiling film for prospective WNBA teams.
Playing in Upshot has given the HBCU alum confidence that if a WNBA opportunity arises, she can step in and contribute immediately, she said.
“Whatever league that you’re seeing me in, whether it’s overseas or in the [U.S.], … I think each year I’ve gotten better,” Johnson said. “I work hard once I’m committed to something.
“I can score the ball on all three levels, I can make reads, I can make passes, and I do make my teammates better. … All I care about is winning, and I’ll do whatever it takes.”