Nyla Johnson's connection one of Nolensville girls basketball best stories
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Nolensville’s Nyla Johnson has basketball in her blood.
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Taking up the sport at the age of five, it didn’t take Johnson long to fall in love with the game that had long captivated her mother Devin, once a standout high school player in Alabama before going on to play at Belmont from 1997-2001.
Johnson has established herself as one of Middle Tennessee’s top playmakers and the junior is helping push Nolensville toward its first TSSAA state tournament appearance since 2020.
The Lady Knights (25-8) took one step closer on Feb. 27, defeating Columbia Central 64-30 in the Region 6-4A quarterfinals. Johnson finished with 13 points, seven assists, five steals and three rebounds.
“Especially as I get older, because (my mom) knows what it's like to play high school girls basketball and play in college and she knows all the work it takes as well, I can always lean on her for advice and just to help me keep going,” Johnson said.
While her mother’s experience has often helped guide Johnson, it’s her father Shannon who coached her throughout her formative years alongside Nolensville teammates Josie Ladd, Brooklyn Pring and Addison Harris.
Devin instead supported from the sidelines, never short on advice when needed.
“That's why I didn't want to coach her, I needed to be mom, to support her … but she does allow me to coach her as far as telling her, ‘Hey if you see this, we'll go outside and we'll (work on) some things,’ ” Devin Johnson said.
Johnson’s parents uniformly preached a hard-nosed brand of basketball, which is apparent within minutes of watching her on the court with Nolensville as she dove for loose balls and battled for rebounds.
Just as her mother once prided herself on defensive prowess, Johnson has done the same, while also contributing a team-high 15.8 points per game this season.
“Effort and energy are non-negotiables," Johnson said. "You always have to put that out there and it starts on the defensive end. Once you can get that started, the whole game just opens up for you.”
Johnson was named to the All-District 11-4A first team this season as Nolensville claimed the district title, the first step toward making the program’s first ever trip to TSSAA state tournament in Murfreesboro.
Nolensville qualified in 2020, but its hopes for a Gold Ball were dashed when the state tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Johnson aims to lead the Lady Knights to a well-overdue return, facing Franklin in the Region 6-4A semifinals on March 2 at 6 p.m.
“It's been talked about a lot and we are so excited for the opportunity to be able to do this," Johnson said. "This group is really special and I think we can make it really far."
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nyla Johnson, Nolensville one step closer to TSSAA basketball state tournament