Louisiana College alumnus Sheila Thompson-Johnson has been named one
of Louisianas all-time greatest college basketball players.
Johnson was ranked 14 on the All-time Collegiate Womens Basketball Team
compiled by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and released last month.
The team includes the top 20 Louisiana players of all time, as determined by
association members, coaches, athletic administrators and former players at
colleges and universities throughout the state.
Louisiana College alumnus Sheila Thompson-Johnson has been named one
of Louisianas all-time greatest college basketball players.
Johnson was ranked 14 on the All-time Collegiate Womens Basketball Team
compiled by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association and released last month.
The team includes the top 20 Louisiana players of all time, as determined by
association members, coaches, athletic administrators and former players at
colleges and universities throughout the state.
Johnson played for the Lady Wildcats from 1977 to 1981, during which she helped
lead the team to a fourth place finish nationally. She was inducted in 1990
as a charter member of the LC Sports Hall of Fame. She now serves as athletic
director at the Louisiana Baptist school.
As a player, Johnson was the first high school All-American from Louisiana,
LSWA President Robin Fambrough notes.
“Her accomplishments at Louisiana College speak for themselves,”
Fambrough emphasizes. “She led her team to the verge of a championship.”
Johnson says she decided to attend Louisiana College for its Christian atmosphere
and the opportunity to play for the team, that was only one year old at the
time.
“I felt this is where God wanted me to attend college,” Johnson says.
She says she and her teammates felt privileged to be a part of establishing
Louisiana Colleges place in womens basketball. “We had the
type of ladies here who were very competitive and very determined. I knew we
wanted to establish Louisiana College as a national powerhouse.”
Johnson scored an all-time school record 2,659 career points and was twice
named an All-American while playing for Louisiana College. She also was invited
to try out for the Olympic and Pan-American games teams during that time.
“Those early days helped to establish us as one of the top womens
basketball programs in the nation,” Johnson says.
Fambrough has reported on sports in the state for more than 20 years and remembers
Johnson as a player. She particularly recalls a game against Nicholls State
University in which Johnson scored 38 points.
“I dont think theres any doubt that shes one of the
top players in the state,” Fambrough asserts.
However, Johnsons accomplishments did not stop upon her graduation from
Louisiana College in 1981.
She later became coach of the Lady Wildcats. She was twice named Coach of the
Year for District 30 of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
In 1985-86, she coached the team to a school-best 31-3 record and a third place
finish in the NAIA national tournament.
Janice Joseph was a member of Johnsons 1986 team and also was nominated
for the recent All-time team. Her accomplishments earned her honorable mention
on the list.
In 1987, the Lady Wildcats captured the NAIA Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
championship under Johnsons leadership.
“As a coach, its a different perspective. You cant get out
there and do it for them,” Johnson acknowledges.
Johnson was named athletic director at Louisiana College in April. She says
she is striving to maintain excellence within the department. “The hard
work through basketball, through my accomplishments and through LC – I feel
honored to be a part of that,” Johnson says.
Johnson credits her parents for her success. “They always said you have
to work for it. Anything worth having takes effort and takes desire,” she
says.
A person must work hard on and off the basketball court to be successful, Johnson
maintains. She has used her God-given abilities along the way.
“As a person and as a Christian, God has a purpose that we can use our
abilities to be the best we can,” Johnson says.
Being named one of the games best players is a special honor for Johnson.
She is the only player named to the team who did not play for an NCAA Division
I school.
Johnson says she realized the significance of the accomplishment when she discovered
her former coach had voted for her as the top player of all time.
“That really brought it home for me,” she says. “I feel honored
I was chosen.”
Johnson says she now wants the players she works with to recognize their talents
and discover how they can be used to achieve success and glorify God.
“I want them to have what I had,” she says. “To be a Lady Wildcat
is very special. Not everyone can be a Lady Wildcat.”