LAFAYETTE — There was never a worry about where the destination for basketball might land for Lafayette Jeff senior guard Da’Niyah Johnson.
Johnson was introduced to basketball in the fifth grade by Sunnyside Intermediate School humanities teacher Dave Barrett after not showing much interest in sports previously.
“He’s always pushed me and helped me on the side,” Johnson said. “He always told me that I could be good at it. It was something new and fun, and that’s why I stuck with it. I had a great support staff along the way. I knew it was kind of nerve wracking, so maybe it was the sixth and seventh grade I started putting the work in.”
Johnson will play basketball at Marian-Ancilla in Plymouth after being “the kid that wasn’t into sports.” She was considered a late comer to the game and a blip on the radar while taking on the challenge of being a starting freshman guard on varsity under then-first year head coach Jenna Sullivan in 2022-23.
The co-captain fell back on the mentorship she first received from Barrett, his daughter Shaylee, Sullivan and eventual transfer and career 2,000-point scorer Maya Layton.
“I wasn’t going to stress about it because I had a great supporting staff,” Johnson said. “They do everything for me, and that’s exactly what they did. My coach did a good job of getting me out there and getting people to see my film. I wasn’t really worried. I knew we had a plan to get some more film, not going to rush it and I was going to get the best option for myself.”
Trusting her own game and staying at the program she played for eventually created an athletic dividend for Johnson. She was voted a Journal & Courier first team member and averaged 10.4 PPG, 46% FG shooting and 5.3 RPG to conclude her season while guiding the Bronchos to an 19-5 record.
Being patient was part of the equation. But so was getting rest. Johnson sustained four ankle sprains during her junior year. She was doing all the exercises and physical therapy instructed by athletic trainer Jeff Clevenger.
What Johnson wasn’t doing was taking off days. Working hard is one thing, but not a break on Sundays led to the 3-sport athlete to cause herself aggravation. A lesson she learned this offseason while taking on both basketball, track and flag football that entered its first season.
Taking time off on Sundays allowed Johnson to be at her best when Lafayette Jeff needed her.
Now she’s found a college basketball home. It happened at her time. Her pace.
“I’m proud of everything I started with,” Johnson said. “I didn’t think during my freshman year that I would get all this and grow this much. I knew I could. (Barrett, Sullivan) told me I could become a great basketball player. I think I changed dramatically, got a lot more aggressive, became a better scorer and I didn’t think I’d be able to change. That little girl who came in her not knowing anything, and now I’ve made that impact.”
Ethan Hanson is the sports reporter for the Journal & Courier in Lafayette. He can be reached at ehanson@jconline.com, on Twitter at EthanAHanson and Instagram at ethan_a_hanson.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Lafayette Jeff guard Da’Niyah Johnson finds college home at her own pace
Reporting by Ethan Hanson, Lafayette Journal & Courier / Lafayette Journal & Courier
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