April 11, 2011
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech forward Adrienne Johnson sat quietly in the corner of the Lady Techsters locker room Monday afternoon, fiddling with her phone and waiting to hear her name called in the 2011 WNBA Draft.
Johnson and the rest of the fan club was rewarded more than two hours into the draft when the Franklin native was selected with the fourth pick of the third round (28th overall) by the Connecticut Sun.
"I was really excited about it," Johnson said. "It was a feeling of relief. All day I was anxious and nervous. "It has always been a childhood dream to be drafted and play in the WNBA. Once your name is called, it's a huge feeling of relief. Now it's a dream come true."
Although Johnson's dream has been growing since she was a little girl, the final two hours prior to it coming true might have seemed like an eternity as the first two rounds passed without hearing her name called by the ESPN hosts on the WNBA Draft Selection Show.
"I had talked to Connecticut (before the draft)," Johnson said. "They had the 16th overall pick but they took (Sidney Colston) for trade reasons. I got nervous; real nervous, but I didn't lose faith. I trust Coach (Teresa) Weatherspoon. I knew she had talked to (Connecticut)."
Although Johnson claimed that the butterflies were flying rampant within her system during the wait, no one in the Lady Techster room - save maybe her father Albert - could tell.
While her teammates, coaches, family and friends talked and ate, Johnson stayed focused on her cell phone as she skyped with her mother Yvonne who is currently hospitalized in Houston undergoing treatments for her ongoing battle with skin cancer.
"It was nice," said Johnson, referring to being able to share the moment with mother through technology. "I'm glad we could see each other through skype. It was like she was here even though she wasn't."
Johnson becomes the 21st Louisiana Tech player to be drafted or sign a free agent contract in the WNBA as she will head to the northeast in less than a month to begin training camp with the Sun - a team that posted a 17-17 record last year.
The WAC Player of the Year and honorable mention all-America candidate said that during her phone conversation with Connecticut coach Mike Thibault following her selection, he told her that she would be playing the three position at the next level.
"This is a kid we had targeted for several weeks in the draft as fitting a need we had for an athletic, active forward who can play outside and inside," Thibault said. "She's had an impressive career at Louisiana Tech. She got better every year, and she's got a chance to come in and compete for a spot on our team. There are two jobs to compete for, and she'll have an opportunity to win one if she does a good job in training camp." "
Although playing the four and five position during her career at Louisiana Tech, Johnson showed the skill set and versatility to play on the perimeter. During this past season, Johnson ranked 10th in the country in scoring at 21.9 points per game while also grabbing 9.5 rebounds. She ended her college career ranked fifth all-time in scoring at Tech with 1,985 points.
ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo compared Johnson to a former teammate of Lobo's at the University of Connecticut.
"I saw (Johnson) play on tape and she kind of reminds me of Swin Cash," said Lobo. "She's got some size and runs the floor well. She's a three with size who has a really good wing span and who can hit the three-point shot. This is a player who can compete for a roster spot at Connecticut."
