Johnson, Sue

Sue Johnson was a three sport athlete at Walt Whitman High School, Huntington Station, NY. Upon graduation in 1982, she attended Yale University where she would become one of the most outstanding basketball players in Yale history.

Johnson, a 1986 cum laude Yale graduate, enjoyed an impressive athletic career as an Eli by competing for the basketball, softball and lacrosse programs. She made her mark on the basketball program by earning First Team All-Ivy and Academic All American honors in consecutive seasons, the Francis Gordon Brown Prize (a Yale award presented to that junior [male or female)], who best combines athletics and scholarship), an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and graduated as the program’s leading scorer. Sue still holds nine university records.

Sue’s career highlights indicate how her name became synonymous with women’s basketball at Yale:
Two-time first team All-Ivy (1983-84, 1984-85); Team MVP both seasons.
1985-86 second team All-Ivy.
Highest single-season scoring average (18.3 ppg, 1984-85).
Second in career scoring (1,560).
Third in career rebounds (800).
Fifth in career steals (162, steals were not officially counted in freshman season).
Sixth in career field goal percentage (.486).
Record for most points scored in a single season and most points scored by a junior (513, 1984-85).
Record for most points scored by a sophomore (455, 1983-84).
Record of most steals in a single season (74, 1983-84).
Led Yale in scoring twice (83-84, 84-85).
Led Yale in rebounding on three occasions (83-84, 84-85, 85-86).
Sue began her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater, Yale, from 1987-89 before moving on to assistant coaching stints at Princeton and Boston College. She was named the University of New Hampshire Head Coach in 1997 and led the Wildcats to the program's first ever post season berth in 1998. She is currently the Athletic Director at Gann Academy in Waltham, MA.

Sue credits her parents, Roz and Henry, her older sister, Karen, and her college coaches, Diann Nestel and Janet Schultz, as having had the greatest influence on her basketball playing and coaching careers.