By Amanda Scurlock for The LA Sentinel
Originally published July 8, 2026
Brooke Johnson competed in flag football and basketball during her junior year at King/Drew. She helped the flag football team to a 13-12-1 overall record and a trip to the Division I City Section playoffs. Johnson also helped the girl’s basketball team to the Open Division playoffs during the 2025-2026 season.
Prior to competing in basketball, Johnson was a cheerleader. She noted how cheerleading improved her athleticism and strength.
“I had to pick up girls that were maybe my size or a little bit smaller,” Johnson said. “We had to stretch every day, so I was able to become flexible and get stronger as a kid.”
Johnson did not realize how athletic she was until she began playing basketball. She developed interest in basketball through her two brothers. One of her friends got Johnson involved in a team at a park.
“I have two brothers, so I played every sport with them, like football,” Johnson said. “I joined the park ball team and that was my eighth-grade year. Coming into high school, I figured it would be my sport.”
Throughout the season, Johnson worked to keep her teammates positive. This helped the Golden Eagles defeat teams that created early leads against them. Her cheer also improved her leadership skills.
This past season was the first time Johnson competed in flag football. During flag football season, Johnson would wake up at 5:30 a.m. three times a week to work out. She continued to practice for basketball; she noticed that flag football improved her reflexes.
“When I was doing flag football, I didn’t realize that my anticipation got better because I was on the court, I started catching the ball mid-air,” Johnson said. “I think football made me better because I was able to work out in the morning.”
For Johnson, a student athlete must work hard and have integrity. Her favorite class is English.
“I feel like it’s somebody who’s goal-oriented and somebody who is great at multitasking,” she said. “As a student athlete, you have to be able to complete your work, still come to basketball practice … still keep a good attitude.”
Outside of academics and athletics, Johnson is a member of the careers program at King/Drew. This allows her to shadow and help nurses.
“We go to the hospital once a week during school,” Johnson said. “I was watching [the nurse] examine patients.”
Johnson aspires to play in the WNBA, get into real estate and become a nurse.