MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL – Minnesota Lynx Head Coach and General Manager Cheryl Reeve today announced the team has acquired guard Shenise Johnson and a second-round pick (16th overall) in the 2020 Draft from the Indiana Fever in exchange for a second-round pick (14th overall, previously acquired from New York) in the 2020 Draft and a third-round pick in the 2021 Draft.
“We have long been a Shenise Johnson fan and are excited to add her multi-dimensional skillset to our talented group,” said Reeve. “Moe will bolster our perimeter game with her abilities as a scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender.”
Johnson, 29, spent the past five seasons with Indiana, a stay highlighted by a trip to the WNBA Finals vs. Minnesota in 2015. In 2019, she appeared in 17 games, averaging 4.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12.9 minutes per contest. Johnson began her WNBA career with San Antonio (now the Las Vegas Aces), having been selected by the Stars in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2012 Draft.
In 188 games (76 starts) with Indiana and San Antonio, the Rochester, N.Y., native holds career averages of 8.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 21.5 minutes per contest, shooting 40.6% from the floor and 85.8% from the line. Johnson enjoyed her best season in 2015 with the Fever, tallying 10.9 points, a career-high 4.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 31 outings while hitting a career-best 46.7% from the field and ranking 3rd in the WNBA in three-point accuracy at 41.3% (31-for-75). She led the league in free throw accuracy in 2016, hitting 93.8% (60-for-64) and closing the season with a string of 40 consecutive makes.
Johnson tallied a career-high 24 points on May 14, 2017 at Seattle and snared a career-best 11 rebounds vs. Washington on July 2, 2015. She has also appeared in 16 WNBA Playoff games (11 starts), averaging 9.6 points (on 43.5% shooting), 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 24.9 minutes per game. She collected 12.4 points (48.1%), 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 30.6 minutes per contest during the five-game 2015 Finals.
The 5-11 guard played collegiately at Miami (Fla.), where she was a two-time All-America selection (2010-11 and 2011-12) and was named the ACC’s Player of the Year in 2010-11. She led the Hurricanes to the NCAA Tournament in each of her final two seasons and ranks third on the school’s career scoring list (2,262 points), second in rebounds (1,020), fourth in assists (556), fourth in steals (401) and first in games played (131).
Johnson currently plays overseas in Israel for Maccabi Ramat Hen where she is averaging 17.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in 21 contests, hitting 45.5% from the floor and 42.9% (30-for-70) from three-point distance. She’s previously played overseas in Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey.