Only seven HBCU women’s basketball players have been taken in the history of the WNBA Draft.
Could there be others selected when the 2025 WNBA Draft is held on Monday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN?
One WNBA mock draft believes so.
In the latest iteration of the ESPN mock draft, at least one current HBCU player is projected to be picked before the night is over.
Michael Voepel has Norfolk State star point guard Diamond Johnson being selected in the third round by the Seattle Storm.
The 2024-25 MEAC Player of the Year, who averaged 19.4 points, 3.6 assists and 5.6 rebounds per game over two seasons at Norfolk State, most recently was named MVP of the Lilly Women’s College All-Star Game on April 5.
Johnson entered the college ranks as a member of the 2020 high school recruiting class that also featured projected No. 1 pick Paige Bueckers and WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
As the sixth-ranked recruit in the class, Johnson spent her first collegiate season at Rutgers where former Cheyney University national championship head coach Vivian Stringer coached her.
The Philadelphia native then transferred to North Carolina State, playing two seasons there before moving to Norfolk State in 2023.
“I was always confident in my skill set and what I can do, offensively, defensively, being a leader, just being an all-around player and just having those characteristics,” Johnson told Andscape. “Whatever you need me to do, I can do it. … Throughout my years of college, I think I’ve kind of shown that.”
