When the women’s basketball preseason All-Big 12 teams came out, ISU guard Seanna Johnson pulled up the list that included six players and nine honorable mentions. 

She saw something that she didn’t expect to see, or rather, not see — her name, absent.

Johnson felt a twinge of disappointment. Maybe she didn’t deserve to be on the team, but Johnson felt she deserved a spot with the honorable mentions. 

Soon after, she talked to the ISU coaching staff. ISU coach Bill Fennelly and assistant coach Billy Finnelly made sure to get the point across that Johnson was an award winner to the team.

While she wasn’t recognized on the conference level, the Cyclones still value her highly, especially following last season when she received All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.

“I said, ‘Hey, we believe in you, and don’t take it wrong, but this is a way to show people that you are a good player,” Fennelly said. “’There’s no one in this organization that doesn’t understand how important you are — how good you are.’”

While those words don’t carry much in terms of substance, they carry plenty in terms of relief to Johnson. It made her feel like she had the entire team guarding her back. 

“With that, it’s helped a lot. I want to go to practice going as hard as I can every day, and I know this will help me,” Johnson said. “For [Fennelly] to believe in me and understand, I feel like it’s something that I don’t need to worry about as much.”

It’s not as if Johnson needs much more help. She led the Big 12 in rebounds last year and became the quickest player in ISU women’s basketball history to 500 boards. Her 11.7 points per game ranked second on the Cyclones’ roster last season.

She started all 31 games and set a sophomore record for rebounds in a season with 289 during the 2014-15 season. 

The Big 12 Conference didn’t omit Johnson after last season. Looking at the same statistics, the conference gave her an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. The ISU coaching staff was baffled by the decision this time around. The vote, decided upon by other coaches in the Big 12, caused confusion in Fennelly’s mind. 

“I have great respect for the coaches in our league, but they must have all been sleeping,” Fennelly said. “I mean, are you kidding me? It’s ridiculous.”

Entering her junior season, Johnson still has a lot of room for improvement, and this preseason snub could be what she needs to rise to elite status in the Big 12.

“She’s going to come into this year ready to go, and she knows what her job is. When she comes back, she’s going to be even more motivated,” said teammate Nicole “Kidd” Blaskowsky. “It’s going to be cool to see what kind of player she becomes throughout the process.”

That coaching staff stressed the same sentiment to Johnson. The coaches want her to use this slight as a motivator rather than something that keeps her down. They want her to understand that there is something to play for. And she knows. 

“This is a chip on a shoulder for me,” Johnson said. “For this it’s like I have to do more than I did last season. Even if that’s helping my teammates out.”

Johnson’s aforementioned 11.7 points per game last season were good enough for 13th in the Big 12, and she ranked ninth in field goal percentage at .457.  

Fennelly believes that with this added motivation, Johnson can improve on the flashier marks on a score sheet and assist in team success. 

“There’s not a whole lot of flash to her game, but I think it did hurt her a little bit and it should,” Fennelly said. “She’s fine, but I do think that it’s something that she’ll have something hanging in her locker all year. That will be a good reminder.”