Two days after Sydney Colson announced she had tested positive for the coronavirus, the Sky signed former Rider University guard Stella Johnson to serve as her replacement for the foreseeable future, the team announced Monday.
Johnson, who led the NCAA in scoring for most of last season averaging 24.8 points, became the first Rider player ever selected in the WNBA draft when the Mercury picked her in the third round (29th overall). She was waived last month when teams were forced to make cuts without holding a training camp.
General manager James Wade said Johnson was a player they followed closely over the last several months.
“We feel that she is a young player with a lot of potential,” Wade said in a statement. “We really liked that she is a physical guard, who can give us some guard depth at the point guard and off-guard positions.”
Colson, a Houston native, tweeted Saturday that she had tested positive for the coronavirus, making her the second Sky player known to have contracted the virus after center Stefanie Dolson, who announced she had recovered from it in April.
Colson’s positive test result means she has to self-isolate and follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s protocol. She won’t be able to travel to Florida until she has two negative test results.
It’s the Sky’s hope that Colson will rejoin the team when she’s able to.
After months of deliberation, the WNBA decided to go forward with a 2020 season, announcing earlier this month their plans to launch a 22-game season in late July at the IMG Academy campus in Bradenton, Florida, without fans. The shortened regular season will be followed by a traditional playoff format.
A formal start date hasn’t been finalized, though it’s been reported to start around July 24.
Sky players returned to Chicago over the last week to undergo physicals and start individual practices. The team was able to start hosting group workouts of four or less players last Friday when Illinois entered Phase 4 of reopening.
