12/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) -
By W.G. Ramirez - Special to UNLVRebels.com
The UNLV Lady Rebels have two upperclassmen on the team this season.
And while Amie Callaway and Aley Rohde have certainly been an integral part of the team opening the season 5-1, there's another member of this new look roster that looks, plays and acts like someone who has been here for years.
For those who haven't seen sophomore Brooke Johnson run the offense, or go baseline to baseline in under three seconds with a buzzer beater, drop a long-range 3-pointer or simply lead vocally during timeouts, well, they're simply missing out on one of the most talented - and smartest players - in arguably the entire Mountain West Conference.
"We're running an offense that Brooke probably knows better than all of us - coaches included. She's been running this her whole life," UNLV coach Kathy Olivier said. "She knows the game, she is smart, she has a high basketball IQ. She's a very good leader."
And Olivier knew it after watching practice film during Johnson's freshman summer at UNLV. During practice, all Olivier saw was Johnson hit the court with a backward summersault, pop up on her feet and say "I'm good." Later, the video revealed then-senior Danielle Miller had given Johnson a pretty good shove, somewhat of a "welcome to the team freshman" shot.
"Danielle and I, from jump coming in during the summer during open gym, we got into it," Johnson said. "She might have underestimated me, this little skinny white girl who she could bully down, but I wasn't going to take it."
After practice though, the two ended up at Miller's house. That's how close they were. Like sisters.
That's how serious Johnson is when it comes to basketball, and how she expects her teammates to be as well. She isn't afraid to be vocal, whether she's talking to a freshman, another sophomore or an upperclassman. If the 5-foot-11 guard from Hanford, California has something to say, she will tell you how she feels.
"I'm kind of a free spirit, I tend to speak my mind and not really care if anybody wants to hear it or not," Johnson said. "I've been hushed a few times ... but I'll come right back saying what I have to say."
Don't get her wrong though, she's not as cocky as that sounds. In fact, when it comes to her teammates in crunch time, her humility overrides everything else. She's willing to take responsibility for everything that takes place on the floor, even if she's not at fault. She is the first one to build a teammate up, no matter who's right or wrong.
"At the end of the day why make someone else feel bad for something that just as easily could have been your fault? If you're able to boost them up, I'm perfectly fine in taking the blame by saying it's my fault," said Johnson, who ranks second on the team with 12.7 points per game. "I really try to embody being accountable. Even if it's not my fault, I'm still going to have your back and show you that'll I'll take one for you, for the team - I got your back."
Johnson also ranks second with 17 assists this season but leads the team with 31.2 minutes per game, which is no surprise since Olivier counts on her for so many things.
"Brooke does so many positive things for us on the floor," Olivier said. "She does a good job of finding the open player. She is one of the best passers I've ever coached. She whips that ball and they're crisp, accurate passes.
"She's very good defensively. She's just a hard-nosed gamer, that's who Brooke is. She steps up to the plate every time."
And her relentless nature lasts the entire time she is on the floor, whether the Lady Rebels are up by a few, ahead by 20, or down by a handful with the game out of reach. She never stops her tenacious behavior.
That was evident in a recent game, a 62-43 win over Cal State San Marcos. With less than a minute to play, and the game all but wrapped up for UNLV, Johnson was still playing tug-of-war for the ball on one play, and moments later was diving on the floor for a loose ball.
"Twenty points is not enough, we're never satisfied," Johnson said. "You go from the moment the clock starts to the final buzzer - that's how you're supposed to play. You win by as much as you can. You want to bury a team. You're never satisfied, you want to give 100 percent. When you leave the court, make sure you've given your all."
It's what you'd expect from a seasoned upperclassmen. For Olivier and the Lady Rebels, it's what can be expected from second-year starter Brooke Johnson.
