CEDAR CITY, Utah - SUU head women's basketball coach Chris Boettcher has announced the addition of Whitney Johnson, a former in-state high school player, who will transfer to Southern Utah.

Johnson is transferring to SUU from New Mexico, and will have two seasons to compete for the T-Birds coming off an LDS mission.

Johnson graduated from Lone Peak High School in Highland where she helped lead her team to two Region 4 Championships.

As a freshman at New Mexico, Johnson finished with eight points or more nine different times during the season. She was also awarded the 2012-13 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar award for her efforts in the classroom.  

“We are extremely fortunate to have Whitney join our program,” Boettcher said. “To have graduated in 3 years from New Mexico and still have 2 years to play for us is an example of her hard work and dedication. We expect big things from her on and off the court.”

Whitney's younger sister, Kiana Johnson, is also joining the team.

“Moving here from New Mexico my saying was 'new town, new identity',” Whitney said. “I'm just looking forward for a chance to be better, be different and improve. Not be held back by different expectations and things that people think they know about me. It's going to be awesome playing with Kiana. I've loved the coaches so far, they're very different than the coaches I had at New Mexico, but they seem like great people, so I think playing for the coaches and the team and with Kiana is what I'm looking forward to.”