ORLANDO - Known as one of the nation’s top recruiters over his nearly half-a-decade stint in the SEC, new UCF women’s basketball head coach Gabe Lazo has made his first big splash, announcing the signing of former Pitt guard, Mikayla Johnson, to the 2026-27 roster.
The Anchorage, Alaska, native was a staple of the Panthers over the past two seasons, playing in all but three games since 2024-25. Last season, Johnson paced Pitt in scoring, averaging a career-high 13 points per game, marking the second-consecutive campaign the future Knight has averaged double digits.
A scoring threat from all three levels, Johnson tallied 20 games with 10 or more points along with an impressive five 20-point performances. While her load stayed consistent from the season prior, she increased her field goal percentage to 33.2 percent while playing over 30 minutes per game.
Johnson's Career Stats
| SEASON | GP-GS | MIN | FG-FGA | FG% | 3FG-3FGA | 3FG% | FT-FTA | FT% | PTS/G | AST/G | REB/G | BLK | STL |
| 2023-24 | 15-0 | 4.5 | 13-29 | 44.8 | 2-11 | 18.2 | 1-3 | 33.3 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 1 | 5 |
| 2024-25 | 32-27 | 28.8 | 124-388 | 32.0 | 41-149 | 27.5 | 61-95 | 64.2 | 10.9 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 16 | 23 |
| 2025-26 | 28-27 | 31.7 | 130-391 | 33.2 | 30-124 | 24.2 | 75-99 | 75.8 | 13.0 | 1.1 | 5.1 | 8 | 20 |
| TOTAL | 75-54 | 25.0 | 267-808 | 33.0 | 73-284 | 25.7 | 137-197 | 69.5 | 9.9 | 0.9 | 3.8 | 25 | 48 |
Her physical style also showed on the defensive end, as she grabbed over five rebounds per game, including an impressive 42 offensive boards this season. Johnson added 43 steals and 24 blocks throughout her two seasons in Pittsburgh.
The future Knight averaged over a three-pointer per game in each campaign, though increased her clip from the free-throw line exponentially in 2025-26, knocking down 75.8 percent of her attempts compared to a 64.2 percent mark a season prior.