FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU women's basketball program has announced the addition of Brittany Johnson, a 5-11 guard/forward from Quinnipiac University, for the 2018-19 season.

Johnson, who will be one of three graduate transfers on this year's roster along with Destiny Washington-Mabon (Ball State) and Lisa Zderadicka (Houston Baptist), will be immediately eligible and gives the team nine Division-I transfers. In fact, seven of those nine started for their previous schools.

"Brittany is a versatile player who was a starter for an excellent program," FGCU head women's basketball coach Karl Smesko said. "She is known for her toughness, and I expect her to be able to make positive contributions this season."

Prior to suffering an injury that cost her the past year and a half on the court, Johnson averaged 4.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and nearly one assist per game for the Bobcats from 2014-17. She started just over half (36) of her team's 70 games during that stretch and has appeared in two NCAA Tournaments during her career.

As a junior in 2016-17, Johnson made eight starts over 17 appearances before suffering her injury. Prior to that, she was averaging a career-high 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals over 19.2 minutes per contest. She scored a career-high 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting along with six rebounds and three steals at Hartford on Dec. 10. Following the season, she was selected to the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) All-Academic team.

Johnson grew into a full-time starter as a sophomore, averaging 4.6 points and 3.2 rebounds. She made 28 starts over 34 appearances in 17.6 minutes per game and scored a season-high 12 points on 4-for-10 shooting while adding six rebounds and two assists in a road win over Northeastern on Dec. 9. Following the season, she was selected to the MAAC All-Academic team.

Johnson also had success against FGCU in head-to-head matchups by producing 14 points against the Eagles as a junior after tallying nine points and five rebounds (four offensive) in a sophomore-year matchup.

The Columbus, Ohio native averaged 12.1 points per game as a senior at Pickerington North High School, while leading the team to nearly 70 wins in her career.

YOUNG ALUMNI
FGCU recently announced a program in which young alumni – those who have graduated from FGCU within the past five years – can save between 30-70 percent off Priority Level 4 and 5 section season tickets, in addition to receiving discounted Eagles Club membership, which is needed for select premier seats inside Alico Arena. Those interested in taking advantage of this offer are asked to click here or visit FGCUAthletics.com/YoungAlumni to complete a form. Following that, an FGCU Ticket Office representative will be in contact to set up an account. For more information, call 239-590-7145, email tickets@fgcu.edu or visit the Alico Arena Ticket Office Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko led the 2017-18 Eagles to another historic season. The Green and Blue finished 31-5 overall and 13-1 in ASUN play, capturing the program's eighth ASUN regular season championship and fifth ASUN tournament championship. The team finished the season ranked 25th in the final USA Today Coaches Poll, recaptured the NCAA record for most 3-point field goals made in a season with 431 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in seven seasons, where the Eagles knocked off 5th-seeded and No. 15 ranked Missouri in the opening round. It was the team's second tournament win over the past three appearances. Over the course of the season, FGCU knocked off three ranked teams - No. 15 Missouri, No. 20 Kentucky and No. 21 DePaul.

Over the past four seasons, Smesko has guided FGCU to three 30 plus win seasons while recording a 121-23 (.840) record overall. The now eight-time ASUN Coach of the Year rallied the 2016-17 team to its seventh straight 25-win campaign, culminating in an ASUN tournament title and NCAA Tournament appearance. In 2015-16, he was named the espnW mid-major coach of the year following a run that witnessed the Eagles claim a WNIT runner-up finish and a Division-I program best ever 33-6 record. In 2014-15, the team achieved its first-ever top-25 ranking and made another trip to the NCAA Tournament, where the Eagles earned a No. 7 seed and won the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament game, toppling No. 10 seed Oklahoma State.

Including the 2017-18 campaign, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 14-straight 20-win seasons and eight-straight 25-win seasons. He maintains a record of 496-114 (.813) overall in his career, including a 170-16 (.914) mark in ASUN play. Over the past seven seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 106-4 (.964) record in conference play with four undefeated seasons. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. Entering 2016-17, he ranked among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group. Over the past year, first-year NCAA Division-I head coaches Nancy Fahey (Illinois) and Bart Brooks (Belmont) pushed the list to six.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help.