photo by: Kahner Sampson/Special to the Journal-World

Lawrence senior Brynnae Johnson splits Washburn Rural defenders during the Capital City Classic in Topeka on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025.

Brynnae Johnson wasn’t sure if her dream of playing college basketball was feasible after tearing her ACL and meniscus her junior year.

At the time, Johnson had Division I offers amid a breakout season. Her summer AAU season would’ve helped her get her name out to colleges, but everything seemed to be on hold when she got injured. She had just decided not to commit to Wichita State after one of her coaches told her she would be on a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League team, which could give her even more exposure.

Then came the injury.

“It was very frustrating because I knew that I had passed up an opportunity to commit to a really good school, a Division I school,” Johnson said. “Doubt definitely crept in, especially a couple months into my surgery. After my surgery, there were times where I thought I might not even run the same or walk the same.”

Johnson trusted the medical staff that helped her with her surgery and physical therapy, and she had a strong finish to her high school basketball career at Lawrence High School. Two weeks after the season wrapped up, Johnson committed to Butler Community College.

Those feelings of frustration and doubt are now feelings of relief and happiness. It’s been a lifelong dream for Johnson to play college basketball, and now she’s on the cusp of making it come true.

It was Johnson who first reached out to Butler and expressed interest in playing for the Grizzles at the end of her high school basketball season. She saw former players on her AAU team go to Butler and develop at a high level, and Johnson hopes for the same thing. Johnson visited after the high school basketball season and committed when she returned home.

“I had teammates that went to Butler, and they said that their coaches were the best they had ever experienced,” Johnson said. “It was very drastic in my eyes, especially playing with them. I got to see them just one year before, and then see how they are becoming leaders, becoming stronger, faster.”

Right now, Johnson believes she needs development more than anything. Spending a year away from basketball while injured made her feel like she lagged behind others in her class. She believes going to junior college rather than committing to a Division I or Division II school can help her gain the growth she missed from her injury.

“With the amount that Butler produces Division I, Division II athletes like they’re a feeder school,” Johnson said, “I really wanted to be involved in their program for that reason.”

Junior college intrigued Johnson because of its focus on development and how she’s seen it work on her teammates and her family. Her brother, Bryce, went to Kansas City Community College before playing at Missouri Baptist and, most recently, Saint Mary in Leavenworth.

While at Butler — or in the summer before she gets there — Johnson has a few things she wants to improve upon. She wants to become a better shooter, particularly from 3, and get more athletic. However, the most important thing she wants to develop is her “point guard mentality.” Johnson wants to know the right play to make as she sets up the offense.

The Grizzlies went 23-8 last season and reached the Region 6 Tournament semifinal but ultimately lost 67-58 to Dodge City. This was the team’s third straight year winning at least 23 games.

Johnson leaves Lawrence High with strong memories, particularly of the team’s family dynamic. She has played basketball with many of her teammates since childhood and would train with them outside of the school season. That’s something she hopes she can replicate in her time at Butler.

Johnson has two months of high school to get through before she embarks on the next chapter of her basketball career.