Sue Johnson

Induction Year: 2024

Location: Walt Whitman

Category: Basketball, Coaching

Sue Johnson was a three-sport athlete at Walt Whitman High School.

She attended Yale University, where she would become one of the most outstanding basketball players in program history

Johnson, a 1986 cum laude Yale graduate, enjoyed an impressive athletic career as an Eli by competing in the basketball, softball, and lacrosse programs. 

Sue still holds nine university records and her career highlights indicate how her name became synonymous with women’s basketball at Yale:

• Two-time first team All-Ivy (1983-84, 1984-85); Team MVP both seasons.
1985-86 second team All-Ivy
• Highest single-season scoring average (18.3 ppg, 1984-85).
 Second in career scoring (1,560)
• Third in career rebounds (800).
Fifth in career steals (162, steals were not officially counted in freshman season)
• Record for most points scored in a single season and most points scored by a junior (513, 1984-85)
• Record for most points scored by a sophomore (455, 1983-84).
Record of most steals in a single season (74, 1983-84)
• Led Yale in scoring twice (83-84, 84-85)
• Led Yale in rebounding on three occasions (83-84, 84-85, 85-86).


Sue began her coaching career as an assistant at her alma mater, Yale, from 1987-89 before moving on to assistant coaching stints at Princeton and Boston College. 

She was named the University of New Hampshire Head Coach in 1997 and led the Wildcats to the program’s first-ever postseason berth in 1998. She was the head coach until 2007 and led the program to over 125 victories. 

In 2010, she was inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. 

She is currently the Athletic Director at Gann Academy in Waltham, MA.