WKU women’s basketball head coach Greg Collins has announced the hiring of Temeka Johnson as an assistant coach.
“I am so thrilled to have Coach Johnson joining our Lady Topper family,” said Collins. “She has so much knowledge and experience from winning at every level. Her success was earned. Our fans and players will soon learn what makes Temeka special is more than her basketball experience, it is her character, her work ethic, and her belief in helping others. Coach Johnson is going to be a great teacher and role model for our players.”
Johnson had a highly decorated playing career before moving into coaching. She was a point guard at LSU (2001-05) where she led the Tigers to two Final Fours, an Elite Eight, a SEC regular season championship and SEC Tournament championship. She is still the program’s career assist leader with 945 career dimes which also ranks as the eighth most by a NCAA Division I player all-time. During her collegiate career, Johnson earned AP All-American Honorable Mention three times, All-SEC First Team twice and was named the SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2003.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to be part of a special program like WKU,” said Johnson. “I want to thank Coach Collins and his staff. He does a really great job and I’m thrilled to join the team.”
The New Orleans, Louisiana native was drafted sixth overall in the 2005 WNBA Draft by the Washington Mystics. She was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year in 2005, ranking second overall in the league in assists that season. In 2009, Johnson earned a WNBA Championship with the Phoenix Mercury. She also played for the Los Angeles Sparks, Tulsa Shock and the Seattle Storm during her time in the WNBA. Johnson scored over 2,500 career points in the league.
During the WNBA offseasons Johnson played in leagues overseas including teams in Israel, Poland and Russia.
Most recently, Johnson was a high school basketball coach at John Curtis High School in Louisiana for three seasons. She led the team to back-to-back state championships in 2021 and 2022.
Johnson replaces Tiffany Porter-Talbert as assistant coach on the Lady Topper staff as Porter-Talbert steps into a new role as Director of Recruiting with the program.
Photo Courtesy WKU Athletics
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