She Won’t Settle for Second Best

Veronica Johns-Richardson isn’t sure what she wants. Does she go to college to become a teacher or study business? Or communications? Or Spanish? Or religious studies?

“There are so many things I want to do,” she says, “and not enough time to do them.”

Time is on her side right now. Johns-Richardson is just a sophomore at Troy High School, one of the most gifted basketball players in Orange County. She has a 4.14 grade-point average and a 19.0 scoring average.

Fourth-ranked Troy is undefeated in 11 games, won its second tournament on Wednesday, the Los Alamitos Classic (she was named most valuable player), and Johns-Richardson seems to be on her way to another All-Southern Section first-team selection.

In Troy’s four-guard system that’s known for its high-paced, suffocating defense, Johns-Richardson is the engine that makes the Warrior machine run.

“I think she’s [going to be] a Division I [college] player at a big-time school, and she’ll be a point guard as long as she keeps developing,” said Troy Coach Kevin Kiernan, who coached Cypress College women’s team for six seasons. “She’s only a sophomore, but she’s mature, well-spoken.”

And she’s really good.

She averaged 12 points, four assists and four steals last season, playing a major role in Troy reaching the section Division II-AA title game, where it lost to Brea Olinda.

“I don’t want to be runner-up,” said Johns-Richardson, who is doing her part by averaging 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals per game. “Every day I go in the gym, I see that red banner. I want a white championship banner.”

Troy will play in the tougher Division I-A this season. Brea, with perhaps its best team, remains in Division II-AA.

A title would provide a perfect end to the season for Johns-Richardson, who is a self-proclaimed perfectionist, “but not to the point of being obsessive.”

Kiernan said Johns-Richardson, 15, still shows her youth despite her maturity.

“She’s very emotional and gets down on herself too much, like when her shot isn’t falling,” Kiernan said.

But there’s an important distinction between her and many others.

“A lot of players work on things they’re already good at,” he said. “It’s hard to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What am I bad at?’

“That’s where she was at the end of last season with her jump shot. I told her, ‘People are going to leave you wide open.’ She worked hard on it, and it still comes and goes, but there was no way she was going to make four three-point baskets in a game last year.”

Johns-Richardson, a 5-foot-10 point guard struggling with her outside shot, made four three-pointers in the Warriors’ biggest game of the regular season, a stunning 56-39 victory over then second-ranked San Clemente.

“When she’s making threes, what are you going to do,” Kiernan asked rhetorically. “She’ll make you look like a bad coach.”

That’s because Johns-Richardson is one of the county’s best players when it comes to driving to the basket. The last thing opponents need is her outside shot falling.

“She’s been so good at going to the basket, she ignored the perimeter game growing up,” Kiernan said. “It’s a weakness still, but she works on it every day.”

But her ability to break down an opponent is mighty handy.

“It’s very important, it’s what sets teams apart, having someone who can create their own shots,” San Clemente Coach Mary Mulligan said. “There aren’t a lot of those players around.”

Kiernan agrees.

“In tight games, Veronica doesn’t need us to run things for her, she can get things on her own,” he said. “It’s like having a security blanket.”

Johns-Richardson, one of four daughters ages 13-17 raised by Vanessa Johns, has a good idea about security blankets. Basketball’s primary function is to secure a college education.

“A college degree is more important to me than basketball,” Johns-Richardson said. “Basketball can end. My education won’t. After I play four years, I would like to get my masters and then my doctorate.

“You can’t rely on sports because any day, it can be taken away from you.”

Those kinds of comments don’t surprise Kiernan.

“She’s a great athlete, and that jumps at you the minute you see her play, but the thing that sets her apart is she’s so bright,” he said. “I can’t get through practice without her asking me 20 questions.

“Talk to her for 10 minutes, you can see she’s so knowledgeable and wants everything, and she wants it right now.”