The Guru’s UPSHOT/WNBA Report: Philly’s Diamond Johnson Leads Greensboro to a Double Overtime Winning Edge Over Savannah; Upcoming WNBA Slate

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsgurux

The WNBA may have been off Saturday, but when it comes to putting points on the board, in a back-to-back turnaround the Greensboro Groove completed a two-day home sweep on the new four-team UPSHOT League’s opening weekend edging Savannah 107-105 in double-overtime after beating the Steel in one of Friday’s openers.

Philly native Diamond Johnson, who played at Rutgers, N.C. State and Norfolk State, led the Groove with 27 points.

Johnson was all-Big Ten freshman at Rutgers in 2021 and second team all-conference, followed in 2022 as the ACC sixth player of the year, and then in 2024 was the MEAC tournament MVP, newcomer of the year and a finalist for the Nancy Lieberman Award averaging 20.2 points for Norfolk State.

The two teams traded advantages most of the way.

Tai’Sheka Porchia, a 2024 graduate of Troy who was second-team all-Sun Belt that season, hadn’t scored all night but in the second overtime made the second of a two-shot foul attempt for the Groove.

After Savannah had scored a one-shot foul committed by former Colorado star Mya Hollingshed off ball, Quanniecia Morrison, a former all-SEC all-freshman from Georgia, on a retention of possession came up short,  Johnson grabbed the rebound and fed Porchia for the game winner before Savannah’s Lasha Petree, who played at Bradley, Rutgers and Purdue, scored the final points.

Petree scored 31 for Savannah, whose Megan McConnell, a recent Duquesne grad who had bern in a WNBA training camp, was a key contributor off the bench.

The teams play a third time on the league’s free YouTube channel Friday at Savannah’s home opener in Georgia.

WNBA Looking Ahead

On Sunday, NBC returns to the WNBA telecast fold for the first time since early in the league’s history.

The main network and Peacock will air the Las Vegas game at Atlanta at 1:30 p.m., while at 6 p.m., the NBC Sports Network and Peacock will televise Seattle at Indiana.

League Pass has the other two games – Chicago at Minnesota at 7 p.m. and Toronto at Los Angeles at 7 p.m.

The NBC Sports Network and Peacock come back Monday night at 8 p.m. for Washington’s visit to Dallas followed at 10 p.m. on League Pass when Connecticut visits Portland.

A single game Tuesday has Phoenix hosting expansion Toronto at 10 p.m. on League Pass while on Wednesday USA airs Indiana hosting expansion Portland at 7 p.m. and Chicago hosting Dallas at 9 p.m. before Connecticut visits Seattle at 10 p.m. on League Pass.