Kiana Johnson

{{Infobox basketball biography

|name = Kiana Johnson

|image =

|caption =

|league = Úrvalsdeild kvenna

|team = BC Minsk

|position = Point guard

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1993|08|23}}

|birth_place = Chicago, Illinois

|nationality = American

|height_cm = 173

|weight_kg = 63

|number = 3

|high_school = Whitney Young
(Chicago, Illinois)

|college = Michigan State (2011–2014)
Virginia Union (2015–2016)

|career_start = 2016

|career_end =

|coach_start = 2022

|career_number = 3

|career_position =

|years1 = 2016–2017 |team1 = Forssan Alku

|years2 = 2017–2018 |team2 = Tapiolan Honka

|years3 = 2018–2019 |team3 = KR

|years4 = 2019–2021 |team4 = Valur

|years5 = 2022 |team5 = Societa Sportiva Bocca

|years6 = 2022–2023 |team6 = Valur

|years7 = 2023–present |team7 = BC Minsk

|cyears1 = 2022–2023 |cteam1 = Valur (assistant)

|highlights =

As player:

2×Icelandic champion (2021, 2023)
Icelandic Super Cup (2019)
NCAA DII Player of the Year (2016)
Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2012)
Úrvalsdeild Playoffs MVP (2023)
2× Úrvalsdeild kvenna assist leader (2020, 2023)

As assistant coach:

Icelandic champion (2023)

| medaltemplates =

}}

Kiana Johnson (born August 23, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for Belarusian club BC Minsk. She played college basketball for Michigan State and Virginia Union, where she was named the NCAA DII Player of the Year in 2016. In 2021 and 2023, she won the Icelandic championship as a member of Valur.

College career

Johnson started her college career with Michigan State in 2011. She transferred to Virginia Union in 2014{{cite news |author1=Matt Estreich |title=Ex-MSU Spartan Kiana Johnson at home with Virginia Union |url=http://www.nbc12.com/clip/12127887/ex-msu-spartan-kiana-johnson-at-home-with-virginia-union/ |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=WWBT |date=1 August 2018}} and sat out the 2014–2015 season due to NCAA Transfer Rules. During the 2015–2016 season, Johnson averaged 29.3 points and 8.7 assists,{{cite news |title=Virginia Union's Kiana Johnson Named National D-II Player of the Year |url=https://www.hbcusports.com/2016/03/22/virginia-unions-kiana-johnson-named-national-d-ii-player-of-the-year/ |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=HBCU Sports |date=22 March 2016}} and was named the NCAA Division II women's basketball tournament Player of the Year.{{cite news |title=Virginia Union's Kiana Johnson learning to leave legacy, on and off the court |url=https://www.richmond.com/sports/college/schools/virginia-union/virginia-union-s-kiana-johnson-learning-to-leave-legacy-on/article_3d30779b-78de-521a-8151-a74d03fe87f8.html |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=Richmond Times-Dispatch |date=22 February 2016}}

Playing career

In 2016, Johnson signed with Forssan Alku of the Finnish Naisten Korisliiga.{{cite news |author1=Pasi Rakkolainen |title=Amerikan korikuningatar tuli Forssaan |url=https://www.forssanlehti.fi/lounais-hame/amerikan-korikuningatar-tuli-forssaan-5941 |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=Forssan Lehti |date=24 October 2016 |language=Finnish}}{{cite news |author1=David Squires |title=Ex-Virginia Union star Kiana Johnson now lighting it up in Finland |url=https://andscape.com/features/ex-virginia-union-star-kiana-johnson-now-lighting-it-up-in-finland/ |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=Andscape |date=19 October 2016}} For the season she averaged 18.9 points and 5.8 assists per game.

She remained in Finland the following season, signing with Tapiolan Honka.{{cite news |title=Tehotakamies Kiana Johnson tahdittaa Hongan naisten hyökkäystä alkavalla kaudella |url=http://www.tapiolanhonka.fi/tehotakamies-kiana-johnson-tahdittaa-hongan-naisten-hyokkaysta-alkavalla-kaudella/ |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=tapiolanhonka.fi |date=11 September 2017 |language=Finnish}} In 33 games, Johnson averaged 17.1 points and 5.5 assists per game.

In 2018, Johnson signed with KR of the Icelandic Úrvalsdeild kvenna. On February 6, 2019, Kiana scored 50 points in a 102–81 victory against Breiðablik along with 16 rebounds and 10 assists.{{cite news |title=Allt í hnút í Dominosdeild kvenna |url=http://www.ruv.is/frett/allt-i-hnut-i-dominosdeild-kvenna |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=RÚV |date=6 February 2019 |language=Icelandic}}{{cite news |author1=Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson |title=Hefur hækkað sig um tuttugu í framlagi í tveimur leikjum í röð |url=http://www.visir.is/g/2019190209112/hefur-haekkad-sig-um-tuttugu-i-framlagi-i-tveimur-leikjum-i-rod |accessdate=7 February 2019 |work=Vísir.is |date=7 February 2019 |language=Icelandic}} For the season, she averaged 23.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 3.4 steals.{{cite news |title=Johnson úr KR í Val |url=https://www.mbl.is/sport/korfubolti/2019/07/08/johnson_ur_kr_i_val/ |accessdate=8 July 2019 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=8 July 2019 |language=Icelandic}}

In July 2019, Johnson signed with reigning Úrvalsdeild champions Valur.{{cite news |author1=Óskar Ófeigur Jónsson |title=Íslandsmeistararnir sækja sér Kana í KR |url=https://www.visir.is/g/2019190709086/islandsmeistararnir-saekja-ser-kana-i-kr |accessdate=8 July 2019 |work=Vísir.is |date=8 July 2019 |language=Icelandic}} Valur opened the 2019–20 season by defeating Keflavík, 105–81, in the annual Icelandic Super Cup where Johnson posted 14 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and game-high 6 steals.{{cite news |author1=Anton Ingi Leifsson |title=Vandræðalaust hjá Val gegn Keflavík í Meistarakeppni KKÍ |url=https://www.visir.is/g/2019190928728/vandraedalaust-hja-val-gegn-keflavik-i-meistarakeppni-kki |accessdate=30 September 2019 |work=Vísir.is |date=29 September 2019 |language=Icelandic}} In the Úrvalsdeild, she averaged 22.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and a league leading 8.2 assists per game. However, the last three games of the season and the whole playoffs were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Iceland with Valur being named Divisional champions (Icelandic: Deildarmeistarar) for having the best record at the time but no national champions were crowned.

On 2 June 2021, she won the national championship after Valur beat Haukar 3–0 in the Úrvalsdeild finals.{{cite news |author1=Sæbjörn Þór Þórbergsson Steinke |title=Umfjöllun og viðtöl: Valur – Haukar 74–65 – Sópurinn á lofti og Valur Íslandsmeistari |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20212117535d/umfjollun-og-vidtol-valur-haukar-74-65-sopurinn-a-lofti-og-valur-is-lands-meistari |access-date=3 June 2021 |work=Vísir.is |date=2 June 2021 |language=Icelandic}}

After playing for Societa Sportiva Bocca in Venezuela, Johnson returned to Iceland and signed again with Valur in June 2022.{{cite news |title=Íslandsmeistari snýr aftur í Val |url=https://www.mbl.is/sport/korfubolti/2022/06/08/islandsmeistari_snyr_aftur_i_val/ |access-date=8 June 2022 |work=Morgunblaðið |date=8 June 2022 |language=Icelandic}} During the regular season, she averaged 19.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and league leading 7.9 assists per game.{{cite web |title=Kiana Johnson - Subway deild kvenna (2022-2023 Tímabil) |url=https://kki.is/motamal/leikir-og-urslit/motayfirlit/Leikmadur?league_id=189&season_id=124654&player_id=5833909 |website=kki.is |publisher=Icelandic Basketball Association |access-date=30 March 2023 |language=Icelandic}} On 26 October 2022, she scored a season high 30 points.{{cite news |title=Lykill: Kiana Johnson |url=https://www.karfan.is/2022/10/lykill-kiana-johnson-13/ |access-date=30 March 2023 |work=Karfan.is |date=26 October 2023 |language=Icelandic}} On 28 April 2023, she won her second Icelandic championship after Valur defeated top-seeded Keflavík in the Úrvalsdeild finals, 3–1,{{cite news |author1=Þorkell Gunnar Sigurbjörnsson |title=Valskonur eru Íslandsmeistarar í körfubolta |url=https://www.ruv.is/frettir/ithrottir/2023-04-28-valskonur-eru-islandsmeistarar-i-korfubolta |access-date=29 April 2023 |work=RÚV |date=28 April 2023 |language=Icelandic}} with Johnson being named the Playoffs MVP.{{cite news |author1=Árni Jóhannsson |title=Kiana: Það trúði engin að við myndum vinna mótið |url=https://www.visir.is/g/20232408466d/kiana-thad-trudi-engin-ad-vid-myndum-vinna-motid |access-date=29 April 2023 |work=Vísir.is |date=28 April 2023 |language=Icelandic}}

In September 2023, Johnson signed with BC Minsk of the Belarusian Premier League.{{cite news |title=Kiana Johnson (ex Valur) signs at BC Minsk |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Iceland/news/829214/Kiana-Johnson-(ex-Valur)-signs-at-BC-Minsk |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=Eurobasket.com |date=24 September 2023}}

Statistics

=College statistics=

class="wikitable"

|Year

|Team

|GP

|Points

|FG%

|3P%

|FT%

|RPG

|APG

|SPG

|BPG

|PPG

2011–12

|Michigan State

|32

|228

|38.3%

|33.3%

|70.5%

|2.8

|4.0

|1.7

|0.1

|7.1

2012–13

|Michigan State

|25

|233

|36.3%

|33.0%

|81.6%

|3.4

|4.2

|1.9

|0.1

|9.3

2013–14

|Michigan State

|19

|160

|38.2%

|32.7%

|65.4%

|2.5

|6.0

|1.2

|0.5

|8.4

2014–15

| colspan="11" |Did not play – NCAA transfer rules

2015–16

|Virginia Union

|31

|905

|45.6%

|40.7%

|82.4%

|4.7

|8.7

|4.1

|0.2

|29.2

Career

|107

|1526

|41.8%

|11.1%

|78.6%

|21.2

|5.8

|2.3

|0.2

|14.3

Source{{Cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careerplayer|title=NCAA Statistics|website=web1.ncaa.org|access-date=2021-05-19}}

References

External links

[http://kki.is/motamal/leikir-og-urslit/motayfirlit/Leikmadur?league_id=189&season_id=103157&player_id=5833909 Icelandic statistics] at [http://kki.is kki.is]
[https://korisliiga.fi/naisten-korisliiga/ottelut/pelaaja/?season_id=97965&player_id=5326045 Naisten Korisliiga statistics] at korisliiga.fi
[https://vuusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=2410 Virginia Union profile] at vuusports.com
[https://msuspartans.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=6502 Michigan State profile] at msuspartans.com

Category:1993 births

Category:Living people

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Finland

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Iceland

Category:American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela

Category:American women's basketball players

Category:KR women's basketball players

Category:Point guards

Category:Úrvalsdeild kvenna (basketball) players

Category:Valur women's basketball players

Category:21st-century American sportswomen