Diamond Johnson didn’t hear her name called on WNBA Draft night. The cameras never cut to her living room. No highlight montage. No hat. Just silence.

But if you’re familiar with Diamond, you know she’s not the type to flinch at a closed door. Yesterday, it was reported that the 2024-25 MEAC Player of the Year is heading to Minnesota Lynx training camp, undeterred and undrafted, with a chip on her shoulder and a killer crossover to call home about.

She posted averages of 18.9 points, 6.1 boards, 4.1 assists, and 3.6 steals this season for Norfolk State; Johnson was electric. She led the Spartans through a season laced with highlight reels and hardware. Most expected Johnson—a top-six recruit in her 2020 class behind Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Caitlin Clark, and Kamilla Cardoso—would land somewhere in the second round. Instead, she watched as names rolled off the board and hers never came.

The omission was controversial. Some pointed to her 5-foot-5 frame, others to her decision to finish her collegiate career at an HBCU. Social media erupted with rightful indignation—pointing to her stats, her leadership, and her undeniable game.

After their season-ending loss to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament, now-former NSU coach Larry Vickers stuck up for Johnson's pro stock. "I've watched her go from seventh in the first round, when she got to me, and drop and drop and drop and drop, and I don't know why... She's super special," Vickers said.

Nevertheless, Diamond doesn’t do pity parties. She did what she knows best, and that’s work.

Minnesota, perhaps, saw what the league didn’t, offering the kind of opportunity you can’t fake your way through. The Lynx, fresh off a 30-10 campaign and a trip to the WNBA semifinals, aren’t just a “happy to be here” team. They’re perennial contenders. A machine in need of pieces that produce. A player like Johnson, sharp and poised and ready to disrupt, might just be what keeps that engine humming.

Her path here was anything but conventional. From Rutgers to NC State to Norfolk State, Diamond’s journey zigzagged through the Power Five and into the heart of HBCU excellence. At every stop, she left her fingerprints on box scores, locker rooms, and opposing scouting reports.

Now, she steps into the crucible that is WNBA training camp—one of the toughest proving grounds in all of pro sports. No guarantees. Just a ball, a practice jersey, and a chance.

If you’re looking for a heartwarming story about diligence, you’ve found it. If you’re looking for a hooper with something to prove and everything to gain, that’s Diamond. And if you’re wondering whether she belongs in the W, ask the defenders who couldn’t stay in front of her, or the coaches who game-planned around her.

Diamond Johnson didn’t need a draft night spotlight to shine. She’s always made her own light.