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Johnson, Shannon
- 2004 Olympic gold medalist
- Has won five international medals, including four gold medals and one bronze as a member of the U.S. National Team—but never an Olympic medal
- Four-time WNBA All-Star for the Orlando Miracle, the Connecticut Sun and currently the San Antonio Silver Stars
- Led the 2004 Olympic team in free throw percentage (1.0); was the second highest in assists with 15 and three-point percentage (.364)
- Was an alternate for the 2000 USA National Team that competed at the Olympics in Sydney
- Became interested in basketball in seventh grade
- Played in the old American Basketball League (ABL) 1997-1998 prior to signing with the newly formed WNBA
- Plays overseas in Russia for the Moscow Dynamo during the off-season and has also played for Ros Casares in Valencia, Spain and Fenerbache in Turkey “She has an amazing athletic ability and brings a lot of overseas experience,” said Katie Smith
- Earned the nickname “Pee-Wee” in the sixth grade because she was the shortest player on her volleyball team
- Second oldest of six children (four girls and two boys) belonging to Jo-Ann Bennett
- Would like to own her own business, possibly a restaurant after her basketball career is over
- Favorite Olympic athlete is “Wilma Rudolph,” she said. “When she was young she was told she would never be able to walk, and then to become an Olympic sprinter is an amazing story.”
- Favorite music is R&B … foods include collard greens and hog maws
- Enjoys playing PlayStation, cooking, playing pool, dancing and barbecuing on the grill, playing volleyball and flag football
Johnson has become famous in her home state of South Carolina. She was selected as the 1995 South Carolina Female Amateur Athlete of the Year, the 1999 South Carolina Female Professional Athlete of the Year and was inducted into the South Carolina Hall of Fame. Johnson set several records while playing for the University of South Carolina, including free throws made, free throws attempted and points scored in a single game (50 against Appalachian State in 1996).
On winning 2004 Olympic gold and her feelings when the flag was going up: “It feels fantastic. To say we are No. 1, the 12 best players in the world means everything to me. A gold medal is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I felt it all the way in my stomach. It is unbelievable to feel something like that. You have 12 other young women who strive so hard to be where we are at. And there are other teams that played just as hard as you did. I've been with USA Basketball since '93, so to become an Olympian now, it meant the world to me.”
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Height: 5’7
Born: 18-Aug-74
Hometown: Hartsville, S.C.
Sport: Basketball
Event: Women's Basketball
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