The 2025 WNBA Draft is set for Monday, April 14. Dee Dee Hagemann and Diamond Johnson are hoping their names are called at some point of the three-round draft.
Strength training for the pros
Dee Dee Hagemann, a 5’7” guard and Detroit native, first starred for three seasons at Michigan State before transferring to Memphis for her senior season. As a senior, she averaged six assists a game, 11th best in the nation in 35 minutes per contest.
At State, Hagemann made the Big Ten second team in 2023-24, a two-time All-Big Ten honorable mention, all-conference freshman after a stellar prep career in the Motor City, where she was named both Michigan Miss Basketball and Michigan Player of the Year in her senior year (2021).
Next week, the four-year college guard looks to move forward in her hoopin career, believing that she is ready for the pros, said Hagemann in a recent MSR interview.
“I had some ups and downs,” she pointed out, “but overall it has been successful, and I learned a lot in my four years I’ve been at college.”
Since her collegiate career concluded a few weeks ago, Hagemann said she has been working on her strengths and minimizing her weaknesses as she prepares for the next step in her career, hopefully as a pro guard.
“I’m trying to get a lot stronger,” she said, “because I know the pro league, no matter if it’s the WNBA or overseas, I got to put my weight up a little bit.” Therefore, both the gym and the weight room have served as a second home. “Just staying consistent in the weight room. Just staying in a gym, working on my handles,” she stressed.
“Working on my jump shot to improve that and make them more consistent,” she added.
Hagemann said she hadn’t at the time of our phone interview heard from any WNBA folk, but according to her agent, her college coach at Memphis has been in contact with pro people.
“I’m ready to take what I learned in college and take that [to the pros],” said Hagemann.
A well-traveled career
One WNBA mock draft board has Diamond Johnson, the 5’5” senior guard from Norfolk State, going high in the third and final round next week. Whether or not that’s true, Johnson truly deserves a shot at making a W roster this summer.
The Philadelphia native won this year’s MEAC Player of the Year, made first team all MEAC, and was listed on many best-guard-in-the-nation award watch lists. She plays much taller than her listed height.
At the MEAC post-season tournament, Johnson simply told me that she just wants a true opportunity to make a pro team.
Her college career was a well-traveled one—first at Rutgers (2020-21), then North Carolina State (2021-23) before finally finding a home at Norfolk State in 2023. All Big Ten freshman, all conference second team at her first school; second team all-ACC (2023) and Sixth Player of the Year (2022) at her second school. Then at Norfolk State for her final two seasons, Johnson was 2024 MEAC Tournament MVP and this season makes the All-MEAC defensive team.
Johnson last Saturday was named MVP of the Women’s College All-Star Game with 21 points, four rebounds and two steals.
“It’s not ideal for players to come from PWIs twice,” said Johnson to The Next’s Rob Knox in February. “I love every second of it [being at NSU]. It is probably one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Multiple transfers, especially in this era of the transfer portal, shouldn’t be held against Johnson for leaving two Power 4 schools for an HBCU. Johnson’s career stats — 19.4 ppg, 5.8 rebounds — and starting 57 of 58 college games proves that she can play in whatever uniform she wears.
Charles Hallman welcomes reader comments to challman@spokesman-recorder.com.