NORFOLK, Va. — Her time at Phoebus High School only lasted a couple of seasons, but Diamond Johnson was determined to make an impact.
"All you'd hear about is the Hamptons, the Bethels, the Kecoughtans," she said. "When I joined Phoebus, I really just wanted to do something different than what everyone else was doing which was bring up Phoebus."
She averaged 29.6 points per game as a freshman, then 33.1 points per game as a sophomore before transferring back to her hometown of Philadelphia to be closer to her father, who was bedridden after a series of medical emergencies.
A five-star recruit, Johnson landed at Rutgers before transferring to NC State and helping the Wolfpack get to the 2022 Elite Eight.
Last season, however, an ankle injury went from a three-week diagnosis to one that kept lingering.
"I thought I could come back and I'll be fine but I was feeling down because I'm used to being on the court," Johnson said. "I'm used to being with my team and playing. This was the first injury that put me out."
She played just 22 games, though she still led NC State in scoring with 12.3 points per game.
She aggravated the injury and was forced to miss the Wolfpack's last six games, including their one-point loss to Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. After the season, Diamond made the decision to transfer again.
"Reminding myself that it's going to get better, I'm going to get back," the point guard said.
Last month, she announced her return to the area and her intentions to transfer to Norfolk State. Coming off a MEAC Tournament Championship and the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002, Johnson saw an opportunity like she had at Phoebus.
"Joining a team that's established and I want to do more," she said. "I want to get past the first round of the NCAA's, I want to win another MEAC Championship."
She'll have some friends and family in the area who are looking forward to seeing her play again. Johnson says she's ready to get her journey, derailed by injury, back on track in the place her basketball story really began.
"Just being back to where I started AAU with Boo Williams, just being back here with all my family and friends, I think it's going to be fun for sure," she said.
