Click the thumbnails to see photos and Lillie Johnson's comments
GLADSTONE---Gladstone High School senior Lillie Johnson officially signed her National Letter of Intent to play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, achieving the goal of playing at an NCAA Division One school.
Johnson signed on the dotted line at an event held at the Gladstone High School library, attended by her family and friends, and by her Braves basketball teammates.
She is one of the most celebrated basketball players in Gladstone High School history, having scored a record 1,591 points in her three-year career. Johnson has also grabbed 968 rebounds in her career, and has been an Upper Peninsula basketball Dream Teamer the past two seasons. She was named Miss U.P. Basketball in her junior season.
And after one more victory lap in her senior season, she becomes a Phoenix.
“The coaching staff gave me a feeling of comfort, and just everything I looked forward to,” Johnson said. “The people coming in with me, friends that I can grow up with, and have for a lifetime. The coaches just made me feel wanted, and I could see the effort they were putting in to recruit me. It just felt like the right place.”
Johnson plans to study sports marketing at UW-Green Bay. And as for basketball, she doesn't know yet what the plans are for her once she steps on the Green Bay campus as a freshman next year.
“It's pretty much based on next summer,” Johnson said. “I'm going to work real hard. Summer workouts and practices, leading up to the season.”
Before that, though, some unfinished business is trying to lead the Gladstone Braves to another deep playoff run, after the team won district and regional championships in 2024-25.
