As a player, Vickie Johnson’s acumen and leadership earned her a distinction around the WNBA as a “coach on the floor.” Johnson’s vision, though, was to become an actual head coach, not one in theory.

Johnson’s dream will become a reality.

The Stars will name Johnson their new coach, replacing Dan Hughes, who retired after last season. The franchise is expected to announce the hiring Thursday.

“I’m just overwhelmed with joy,” said Johnson, who will become the franchise’s ninth head coach. “As a player, the game has given so much to me. I felt like it was my duty to give back to the game. I knew I couldn’t play forever, so the only way I could be connected, and stay connected to the game, is coaching. It gives me the fulfillment that I got when I played.”

Johnson, 44, played 13 seasons in the WNBA, including nine with the New York Liberty (1997-2005) and four with the Stars (2006-2009). She was the first player in league history to amass 4,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. In four seasons with the Stars, Johnson helped lead the team to the league finals in 2008 and the Western Conference finals in 2007.

She retired after leading the Stars to the playoffs in 2009, then joined Hughes’ staff in 2011.

“We wanted to find the right fit, the right person for this job,” Stars general manager Ruth Riley said. “It’s somebody who has the skill set to help us out, as well as someone who’s into our culture. Coach Johnson has been a part of our family for a decade now and is somebody, we know without a doubt, who pays attention to who we are as the Stars.”

Johnson takes over a team that was among the youngest in the WNBA and was hampered by injuries a season ago. Point guard Danielle Robinson missed 2016 with a right Achilles’ injury, while Kayla McBride, the team’s leading scorer, missed half the season with a broken right foot.

The Stars finished with the league’s worst record each of the past two seasons, posting a combined 15-53 mark. They have the No. 1 pick in next April’s draft, and free agency begins Jan. 15, with teams able to begin signing other teams’ free agents Feb. 1.

“Vickie is the one that we’re most familiar with,” Riley said. “Going through the process, we knew that she would be a top candidate for us because she’s been a part of our family for so long. Part of the due diligence, though, is to look outside the box and to see what the other candidates are. We felt like we needed to do a thorough job of that, and at the end of day, came to the conclusion that Vickie is the best person for us.”

tthomas@express-news.net

Twitter: @en_terrence