Diamond Johnson made waves by landing on the 2025 Preseason Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year Watchlist, announced Monday by the Naismith Starting Five.

This marks the fourth preseason honor for Johnson this season, following recognition as MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, All-MEAC First Team, and inclusion on the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist.

The Nancy Lieberman Award recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I basketball. To be considered for the award, candidates must demonstrate the floor leadership, playmaking, and ball-handling skills of Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, a Class of 1996 inductee.

Johnson's achievement is significant, as she is the only player from an HBCU on the list, standing out among notable Power Five programs like Duke, UNC, UConn, and USC.

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Last season, Johnson averaged 20.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.8 steals, and 2.9 assists per game. She earned MEAC Newcomer of the Year, MEAC First Team, MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, BOXTROW Impact Award, and BOXTOROW HBCU All-American First Team honors.

Heading into this season, Johnson is ready to compete after leading Norfolk State to their second MEAC championship last season against Howard and then being defeated by Stanford in the first round of the women's NCAA tournament. In those games combined, she totaled 31 points, eight steals, four assists, and 11 rebounds.

During her last year at North Carolina State, Johnson averaged 12.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals, shooting 36.2 percent from three-point range and 87 percent from the free-throw line. After coming off the bench in her first season at NC State, she moved into the starting lineup for her final year. Johnson began her college career at Rutgers as a five-star recruit, ranked among the top players in the 2020 class by ESPN.

Norfolk State aims to repeat as champions this season, beginning its 2024-25 campaign against William & Mary on Monday, Nov. 4, at Echols Hall.