(GREEN BAY ATHLETICS) – On Wednesday afternoon, the Green Bay women’s basketball team and head coach Kayla Karius announced the addition of McKenna Johnson to the 2026-27 roster. The native of Wilmot, Wisconsin, spent a season with Minnesota before transferring to the Butler Bulldogs last season.
The 5’9″ guard appeared in 24 games last season, scoring in double digits six times. Johnson averaged 6.3 points in 15.1 minutes per game. In four games, where she played 20+ minutes, Johnson averaged 16.0 points, scoring double digits in three of them.
“We’re really excited about what McKenna brings to our team,” said Karius. “She’s a dynamic guard with the ability to score at all three levels, making her a constant threat on the floor. Her experience at a high level, along with her relentless work ethic, will make her a great addition to our program.”
In her first season of collegiate play, Johnson saw action in 24 games, averaging 6.4 minutes, 2.9 points, and 1.5 rebounds. Her highlight performance of that season was when she scored a then-career high 13 points against UMass Lowell, all of which came in the fourth quarter. Johnson then had a standout performance against Big Ten rival Rutgers on Jan.8, 2025, where she scored a season-high 15 points of 6-of-11 shooting, including 2-of-6 from deep, and registered five rebounds and one assist in the 76-50 win. McKenna competed for a season-high 25 minutes against Jackson State on Dec. 11, 2024, finishing with seven points, six rebounds, a season-high three assists, and one block. Off the court, Johnson was named an Academic All-Big Ten selection.
Johnson joined the Butler program for her sophomore season, where she started six of her 24 appearances. Johnson’s first game playing over ten minutes for Butler resulted in her scoring 13 points in 14 minutes on 4-of-9 shooting, including a team-high 3-of-6 from beyond the arc in a 101-56 win over Indiana State on Dec. 11, 2025. The sophomore had a strong outing against the #1 nationally ranked UConn Huskies, scoring nine points on a team-best 2-of-3 shooting from deep. McKenna earned her first career collegiate start on Feb. 4, 2026, against (RV) Villanova, where she set a new career-high with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. It took just two weeks for her to set a new career-high, scoring 18 points off the bench with a team-best 3-of-6 shooting from deep, and a season-high four rebounds against Creighton on Feb. 18, 2026.
“It feels like I finally found my way back home here in Wisconsin with the first coach that saw something in me so many years ago,” Johnson added. “I am excited to be a part of Coach Kayla’s vision and building on the culture and success of the Green Bay Women’s Basketball program. Let’s go!”
Before her collegiate career, Johnson was a nationally recognized talent at Wilmot Union High School, where she averaged 26.1 points, 10 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 2.0 assists per game. McKenna was listed as the No. 60-ranked recruit in the country in the 2024 ESPN top 100 rankings, and second amongst Wisconsin-born players. She was a three-time All-Conference performer and was named to the All-State team after her junior season.
Johnson also played for Wisconsin Flight Elite as a senior, helping lead the program to the EYBL Final Four in 2023.
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