Brydens Sydney Uni Flames have added more height to their line up ahead of the Wattle Valley 14/15 WNBL season.
Paris Johnson, an import player from San Diego, California will join the team this week after competing in Queensland’s Basketball League (QBL) in the off season.
An experienced and successful European league and college player, Johnson has shown she is an asset in Australian competition and will make a natural transition into the Flames program.
Playing for the Brisbane Capitals in the QBL, Johnson averaged 15.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.9 blocks per game, shooting at 47.7 per cent. She was ranked first in the league for number of blocks and ranked third for average number of rebounds per season.
At 6 foot 4 inches, Paris will join Kate Oliver and Mikaela Ruef to create a strong front court for the team. Head Coach Shannon Seebohm was happy to have signed Johnson, “Paris is long and athletic; she runs the floor well and has a strong back to basket game”.
“Given her size, she will offer a legitimate inside presence for our side and will be able to pull down rebounds” he said.
Prior to her arrival in Australia, Johnson played in Europe most recently for Zambora, Spain in 2013. She also played for Gorzow in Poland in the 2012 season. Having competed in one of the best leagues in the world, Johnson has come up against some tough international talent that has helped strengthen and develop her own game.
Johnson played out her college career for San Diego State University where she still holds records for the number of blocked shots in a single season. She is a two time San Diego County Player of the Year and boasts many other top ten statistical rankings for her University.
Johnson was extremely excited to have arrived in Sydney this week, “I’m so happy to be here, and I’m ready to compete in the WNBL which I have heard is a tough competition with great Australian players” she said.
Johnson will start her pre-season training with the squad tomorrow, which will be a good start to build team cohesion prior to the Flames season opener on Saturday 18 October against the University of Canberra at the AIS.
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