Bell-Jeff’s Johnson drafted by WNBA team
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Jeff Tully
BURBANK -- Back in January, it looked as if Jaclyn Johnson would be
saying goodbye to her career in women’s basketball at the conclusion of
her senior year at the University of Kansas.
But it appears the former Bellarmine-Jefferson High star is not ready
to hang up her sneakers just yet, after being drafted in the WNBA. Draft.
Johnson, a 6-foot-1 forward, was chosen Friday in the third round --
42nd pick overall -- by the Orlando Miracle of the professional league.
“I don’t know if I was ready to give up basketball all together if I
hadn’t been drafted,” Johnson said Monday from Lawrence, Kansas. “But I
seriously had to think if it would have been the time to move on to
something else in my life.
“But when I got drafted, that all changed.”
Johnson, 21, was drafted following a career at Kansas that put her
among the best women’s players in school history. This season, she led
the Jayhawks by scoring 16.1 points a game, to go along with 7.7
rebounds, 2.1 steals and almost a block a game.
Johnson also scored in double-digits in 19 of 24 games her senior year
and led Kansas in scoring 17 times.
In her four-year collegiate career, Johnson is fifth on the Jayhawks’
career rebounding list with 846 and 11th on the all-time scoring list
with 1,378 points. She is also fifth in career free-throws made (382),
fifth in free-throws attempted (555) and fifth career games played (123).
Johnson joins an Orlando team that went 16-16 during the 2000 season,
finishing third in the Eastern Conference. The team was eliminated in the
first round of the WNBA playoffs by the Cleveland Rockers.
The Miracle will open its third season June 1 when it hosts the L.A.
Sparks.
“I’m really excited about being drafted,” Johnson said. “I think if I
work hard and and show what I can do, maybe I can make the team.
“This is a great opportunity for me and I am looking forward to the
experience.”
Johnson said she is leaving Saturday for Orlando to begin training
camp.
There are probably not many local high school girls’ basketball fans
who forget Johnson’s play.
When she played for Bell-Jeff four years ago, the senior struck fear
in opponents with her fine shooting and powerful inside game.
“Do you think they still remember me in Burbank?,” Johnson said. “I
had a lot of fun at Bell-Jeff.”
As a senior at Bell-Jeff, Johnson helped the Guards’ girls’ basketball
team win the 1997 CIF Southern Section Division IV championship under
Coach Jim Couch. She was also the division’s player of the year.
The title is still the only championship the school has won in all
sports.
Along with earning All-CIF Southern Section honors in basketball, she
was also an All-CIF choice in girls’ volleyball.
WNBA DRAFT
First Round
1. Seattle, Lauren Jackson, F-C, Australia
2. Charlotte, Kelly Miller, G, Georgia
3. Indiana, Tamika Catchings, F, Tennessee
4. Portland, Jackie Stiles, G, SW Missouri St.
5. Miami, Ruth Riley, C, Notre Dame
6. Detroit, Deanna Nolan, G-F, Georgia
7. Minnesota, Svetlana Abrosimova, F, Connecticut
8. Utah, Marie Ferdinand, G, LSU
9. Washington, Coco Miller, G, Georgia
10. Orlando, Katie Douglas, G-F, Purdue
11. Cleveland, Penny Taylor, F, Australia
12. Portland, LaQuanda Barksdale, G-F, North Carolina
13. Phoenix, Kristen Veal, G, Australia
14. Indiana, Kelly Schumacher, F-C, Connecticut
15. Houston, Amanda Lassiter, F, Missouri
16. Los Angeles, Camille Cooper, C, Purdue
Second Round
17. Seattle, Semeka Randall, G, Tennessee
18. Charlotte, Tammy Sutton-Brown, C, Rutgers
19. Indiana, Niele Ivey, G, Notre Dame
20. Portland, Jenny Mowe, C, Oregon
21. Miami, Georgia Schweitzer, G-F, Duke
22. Detroit, Jae Kingi, G, Australia
23. Minnesota, Erin Buescher, G, The Master’s College
24. Utah, Michaela Pavlickova, F, Denver
25. Washington, Tamara Stocks, F-C, Florida
26. Orlando, Brooke Wyckoff, F, Florida St.
27. Cleveland, Jaynetta Saunders, F, Texas A&M;
28. Minnesota, Janell Burse, C, Tulane
29. Phoenix, Ilona Korstine, F, Russia
30. Sacramento, Jackie Moore, C, Long Beach St.
31. Houston, Tynesha Lewis, G-F, N.C. St.
32. Los Angeles, Nicole Levandusky, G, Xavier
Third Round
33. Houston, ShaRae Mansfield, F, Western Kentucky
34. Charlotte, Jennifer Phillips, F, Xavier
35. Indiana, Marlena Williams, F, Missouri
36. Portland, Rasheeda Clark, G, Pepperdine
37. Miami, Levys Torres, C, Florida St.
38. Detroit, Svetlana Volnaya, G-F, Virginia
39. Minnesota, Tombi Bell, G, Florida
40. Utah, Shea Ralph, G, Connecticut
41. Washington, Jamie Lewis, G, Ohio St.
42. Orlando, Jaclyn Johnson, F, Kansas
43. Cleveland, Angelina Wolvert, F-C, Oregon
44. Washington, Yelena Karpova, F, Russia
45. Phoenix, Tere Williams, F, Virginia Tech
46. Sacramento, Maren Walseth, F, Penn St.
47. Houston, Shala Crawford, C, Life University
48. Los Angeles, Kelley Siemon, F, Notre Dame
Fourth Round
49. Seattle, Juana Brown, G, North Carolina
50. Charlotte, Reshea Bristol, G, Arizona
51. Indiana, April Brown, F, LSU
52. Portland, Natasha Pointer, G, Rutgers
53. Phoenix, Carolyn Moos, C, Stanford
54. Detroit, Kelly Santos, C, Brazil
55. Minnesota, Megan Taylor, G-F, Iowa St.
56. Utah, Cara Consuegra, G, Iowa
57. New York, Taru Tuukkanen, F-C, Xavier
58. Orlando, Anne Thorius, G, Michigan
59. Cleveland, Erin Batth, F-C, Clemson
60. New York, Tara Mitchem, G, SW Missouri St.
61. Phoenix, Megan Franza, G, Washington
62. Sacramento, Katie Smrcka-Duffy, G, Georgetown
63. Houston, Kristen Clement, G, Tennessee
64. Los Angeles, Beth Record, G-F, Syracuse