Vickie Johnson

The Dallas Wings (0-1) fell to the Atlanta Dream (1-0), 66–59, at College Park Center Saturday night. The Wings’ scoring effort was led by guard Marina Mabrey, who poured in 20 points in the season opener for Dallas. She was joined in double-figures by Wings veteran Allisha Gray, who netted 12 of her own to go along with a career-high tying three blocks. As a team, Dallas rejected seven shots, one short of the team’s 2021 season high. Rookie guard Veronica Burton made her WNBA debut and played over 21 minutes and recorded six rebounds, three steals and finished +13 on the night.

Vickie Johnson, having lived a full and active life, passed away on the morning of Sunday May 1, 2022, at the age of 93. She was born Feb. 15, 1929, graduated from high school, married, raised four boys, enjoyed her career life, retired and passed away in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, the Lake City she always loved.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Jan. 19, 2022) –WNBA head coaches Vickie Johnson (Dallas Wings), Curt Miller (Connecticut Sun), Mike Thibault (Washington Mystics) and James Wade (Chicago Sky) have been selected to support USA Women’s National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx) at the 2022 USA National Team training camp and FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Washington, D.C. The February 2022 USA National Team coaching staff was selected by the USA Basketball Women’s National Team Committee and approved by the USA Basketball Board of Directors.

Vickie Johnson ignored the noise. At the beginning of the season, she picked her Dallas Wings team to finish fifth or sixth in the standings and reach the postseason. Never mind that the Wings’ roster was painfully young — its average player has spent 2.7 years in the league — or that league observers pegged Dallas for another year picking near the top of the WNBA Draft. Johnson was adamant: playoffs, period.

As the calendar closes on Women’s History Month, Michelle Smith checked in with first-year Dallas Wings head coach Vickie Johnson. Johnson, a 23-year veteran of the WNBA as both a player and a coach, had a successful playing career with the New York Liberty – establishing herself as one of the best defensive players in league history.