Diamond Johnson’s professional basketball journey hit a detour Wednesday afternoon.
The Norfolk State guard and 2025 MEAC women’s basketball player of the year was waived by the Minnesota Lynx, one of four players released by the team that inexplicably did not play in Tuesday night’s 74-69 exhibition loss to the Chicago Sky.
thank you, Camryn, Ajae, Diamond and Dalayah. 💙 pic.twitter.com/zZAIjr1jcC
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) May 7, 2025
Johnson, cited as one of the top prospects in the 2025 WNBA Draft, was not selected by any team on April 14.
Then, 10 days later, Johnson signed a training camp contract with the Lynx.
After winning the ACC Sixth Player of the Year award at North Carolina State, Johnson transferred to Norfolk State, where she averaged 23 points, 7 rebounds, four assists, and four steals per game in leading the Spartans to back-to-back MEAC tournament titles and NCAA tournament appearances.
Her release comes days after she spoke to the local media about her journey to the professional ranks.
“Whatever path fits you, you can be at a P4, an HBCU, or a small school,” Johnson said. “Just do what makes you happy, and when you get there, you have to ball out and they’ll find you.”
