Glory Johnson

Glory Johnson (born July 27, 1990)[1] is an American-born Montenegrin basketball forward for the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she went to Webb School Of Knoxville[2][3] and played collegiately for the University of Tennessee Lady Vols. She represents the Montenegro national team internationally.

Glory Johnson

Johnson in 2019.
No. 0 – Atlanta Dream
Position	Power forward
League	WNBA
Personal information
Born	July 27, 1990 Colorado Springs, Colorado
Nationality	American / Montenegrin
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
High school	Webb School (Knoxville, Tennessee)
College	Tennessee (2008–2012)
WNBA draft	2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4th overall
Selected by the Tulsa Shock
Playing career	2012–present
Career history
2012–2019	Tulsa Shock / Dallas Wings
2012–2013	Chevakata Vologda
2013–2015	Nadezhda Orenburg
2016–2017	Xinjiang Tiashan Deers
2018–2019	Hatay BB
2020–present	Atlanta Dream
Career highlights and awards
2× WNBA All-Star (2013, 2014) SEC Defensive Player of the Year
Stats at WNBA.com
Medals Representing  United States Summer Universiade 2011 Shenzhen Team Competition

College

Johnson enrolled at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2008. She recorded 36 double-doubles over the course of her college career.

Johnson completed her bachelor's degree in global studies in three years, and earned a master's degree in communications during her fourth year of basketball eligibility.[4]

Tennessee statistics

Source[5]

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Year	Team	GP	Points	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2008-09	Tennessee	33	335	40.4	-	61.6	7.2	0.6	1.1	0.4	10.2
2009-10	Tennessee	35	354	45.8	100.0	64.8	7.7	1.0	1.3	0.3	10.1
2010-11	Tennessee	37	443	53.4	-	58.6	9.7	1.2	1.4	0.8	12.0
2011-12	Tennessee	36	511	53.8	50.0	63.6	9.9	1.1	1.4	1.1	14.2
Career	Tennessee	141	1643	48.8	40.0	61.9	8.6	1.0	1.3	0.7	11.7

USA Basketball

Johnson played on the team representing the US at the 2011 Summer Universiade held in Shenzhen, China. The team won all six games to earn the gold medal. Johnson scored 6.2 points per game and had nine steals, tied for second place on the team.[6]

Professional career

WNBA

Johnson was selected in the first round of the 2012 WNBA Draft (4th overall) by the Tulsa Shock. In her rookie season, she was ranked fourth in steals per game (a career-high 2.1 spg).

In 2013 and 2014, her second and third seasons with the Shock, Johnson was named in the Western Conference All-Star team.[7]

Johnson in 2019

Johnson sat out the 2015 WNBA season on a maternity leave after announcing her pregnancy.[8]

She returned one month into the 2016 WNBA season after her suspension stemming from her domestic violence incident with Brittney Griner.[9][10] By this time the Tulsa Shock had relocated to Dallas and were renamed the Dallas Wings, Johnson had re-signed with the team during free agency.[11] Johnson averaged 11.3 ppg in 18 games with 6 starts. Also during her comeback season, she recorded the league's 16th 20-point, 20-rebound performance of the season in a win against the Phoenix Mercury when she scored 23 points along with a career-high 22 rebounds.[12][13]

During the 2017 season, Johnson continued to put double-doubles in rebounds and points which is what she has become statistically known for earlier on in her career. On June 18, 2017, Johnson score a season-high 27 points in an 87-83 win over the Washington Mystics.[14] From July 31 to August 6, Johnson named the Western Conference player of the week.[15] On August 19, 2017, Johnson recorded her 13th double-double of the season, scoring 23 points along with 13 rebounds in a 90-86 win over the Atlanta Dream.[16] During the game, Johnson threw a punch at Dream's point guard Matee Ajavon and served a one-game suspension two days later.[17] The Wings would finish with a 16-18 record and the number 7 seed in the league. In her first career playoff game, Johnson scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a losing effort to the Washington Mystics in the first round elimination game.

In 2018, Johnson had a bit of a challenging season with a couple injuries sidelining her for a few games and causing her to play some games off the bench. She played 29 games with 17 starts and would average career-lows in scoring and rebounding. The Wings would still make the playoffs with a 15-19 record and the 8th seed in the league. They would once again be a first-round exit as they lost to the Phoenix Mercury.

Overseas

From 2012 to 2015, Johnson played three off-seasons in Russia for two different teams; Chevakata Vologda and Nadezhda Orenburg.[18][19] As of November 2016, Johnson signed with the Xinjiang Tiashan Deers of the WCBA for the 2016-17 off-season.[20][21] In August 2018, Johnson signed with Hatay BB of the Turkish League for the 2018-19 off-season.[22]

WNBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
TO	Turnovers per game	FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
Bold	Career high	°	League leader

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2012	Tulsa	34	28	28.2	.482	.000	.677	6.8	1.1	2.1	0.5	2.0	11.5
2013	Tulsa	29	28	30.2	.446	.333	.747	8.9	1.1	1.0	0.4	2.0	15.0
2014	Tulsa	33	33	32.4	.449	.000	.760	9.2	1.4	1.3	0.3	2.6	14.7
2016	Dallas	18	6	27.9	.442	.286	.753	8.9	1.3	0.9	0.6	1.4	11.3
2017	Dallas	33	33	31.0	.464	.313	.766	9.1	1.6	1.2	0.3	2.2	14.9
2018	Dallas	29	17	22.5	.417	.315	.780	6.0	1.3	1.0	0.4	1.3	8.0
Career	6 years, 1 team	176	145	28.9	.452	.305	.739	8.1	1.3	1.3	0.4	2.0	12.7

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2017	Dallas	1	1	36.8	.375	.000	.750	14.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	15.0
2018	Dallas	1	1	22.1	.500	.333	.000	5.0	2.0	1.0	0.0	1.0	7.0
Career	2 years, 1 team	2	2	29.4	.409	.250	.750	9.5	1.0	1.0	0.5	1.0	11.0

Personal life

On August 14, 2014, it was announced that Johnson and fellow WNBA player Brittney Griner were engaged.[23][24] On April 22, 2015, both women were arrested for physically attacking each other after police broke up a fight between the two in their Goodyear, Arizona home. Both sustained minor injuries after the incident.[25][26] Nevertheless, the couple stayed together and married on May 8, 2015.[27] It was announced on June 4, 2015 that Johnson was pregnant and that she would miss the 2015 WNBA season.[28] One day later, Griner filed for annulment which was rejected.[29] Johnson gave birth to twin girls in October 2015, 16 weeks premature.[30] Griner has no biological connection to the twins as Johnson became pregnant through IVF treatment using her eggs and a sperm donation.[31] The divorce was finalized in June 2016.

References

1. "Glory Johnson Bio - University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site". Utladyvols.com. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 24, 2012. Retrieved April 17, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. Glory Johnson. "Glory Johnson, Tennessee F - Scout". Girlshoops.scout.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
4. "Glory Johnson Bio - University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site". Utsports.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
5. "Women's Basketball Player stats". NCAA. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
6. "Twenty-Sixth World University Games -- 2011". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015.
7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
8. "Brittney Griner's wife, Glory Johnson-Griner, announces pregnancy | For The Win". Ftw.usatoday.com. June 4, 2015. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
9. "Glory Johnson of Dallas Wings returns from suspension over Brittney Griner incident". Espn.com. June 9, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
10. "Other Sports: Glory Johnson shows flashes in her return as Dallas Wings fall to Washington | SportsDay". Sportsday.dallasnews.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
11. Dallas Wings Re-Sign All-Star Forward Glory Johnson
12. "Triple-Doubles, Dunks and 20-20 Games - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA". WNBA.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
13. "Glory Johnson has 23 points, 22 rebounds in Mercury win". Sports.yahoo.com. July 6, 2016. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
14. Glory Johnson's 27 points, Skylar Diggins-Smith's 19 power 87-83 Dallas Wings win over Mystics
15. Chicago’s Vandersloot, Dallas’ Johnson Named WNBA Players Of The Week
16. College Park Center Saturday, August 19, 2017
17. Dallas’ Johnson throws punch, suspended 1-game by WNBA
18. "2014 Offseason: Who is Where?". WNBA.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
19. "Glory Johnson profile | Game center". FIBA.com. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
20. "WNBA Players Playing Overseas - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA". WNBA.com. June 20, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
21. "Glory Johnson Basketball Player Profile, Canik Belediyesi Samsun, Tennessee, News, KBSL stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket.com". Basketball.eurobasket.com. July 27, 1990. Retrieved March 2, 2017.
22. Hatay tabs Glory Johnson
23. Nichols, James (August 15, 2014). "Brittney Griner Proposes To Girlfriend Glory Johnson". Huffington Post. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
24. Silver, Jake (August 15, 2014). "WNBA's Brittney Griner Gets Engaged to Former Tennessee Vols Star Glory Johnson". Bleacher Report. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
25. "WNBA star Brittney Griner arrested on assault and disorderly conduct". Sports Illustrated. April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
26. "Mercury's Brittney Griner arrested on assault allegations". Azcentral.com. April 23, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2015.
27. "Brittney Griner Marries Fellow WNBA Star Glory Johnson". US Weekly. May 9, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
28. "Brittney Griner and Glory Johnson Expecting First Child". People. June 4, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
29. "A Day After Announcing Pregnancy, WNBA's Brittney Griner Seeks Annulment from Expectant Wife Glory Johnson". People. June 5, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
30. "Glory Johnson Welcomes Twin Daughters Ava Simone and Solei Diem Several Months Premature". People. October 19, 2015. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
31. Adam, Black (May 25, 2016). "After Winning Child Support from Brittney Griner, Glory Johnson Back To Dating Men". Total Pro Sports. Retrieved March 2, 2017.