Temeka Johnson, who is a restricted free agent, is currently playing in Israel this offseason. Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images

After a tumultuous year - both on and off the court - in 2008, Temeka Johnson is off to a fantastic start in 2009. She is currently in Israel, where she is spending her WNBA offseason playing for Raanana Hertzeliya, alongside fellow WNBA players Charde Houston and Kelly Schumacher.

Johnson, who leads the Israeli Women’s DI League in assists (6.6 per game), earned her second Round MVP of the season on March 6 for Round 19 (she also won Round 13 MVP on Feb. 3). Her team is currently in the playoffs, with its next game set for tomorrow against Electra Ramat Hasharon, a squad that features Ebony Hoffman and Jia Perkins.

WNBA.com caught up with Johnson to discuss her play in Israel, her free agent status in the WNBA and some of the community service work she has been up to this offseason.

WNBA.com: So how things are going overseas? How are you and your team doing?

Johnson: Things are going very well so far. Our team just finished the regular season and the playoffs are just getting started. This week we won our first two playoffs games against Ramla and Ashdod. We are one of the top three teams here In Israel and we are looking forward to what’s ahead of us.

WNBA.com: I see that you are leading the league in assists per game, congrats on that.

Johnson: Thanks, I always try to get the ball where it needs to be as well as keep everyone involved and, lucky for me, I have great teammates that can finish.

WNBA.com: Talk to me a little about the experience of playing overseas, the challenges you face and the positives you gain from the time you spend over there.

Johnson: Well, being overseas always has its pros and cons. Of course, we know that there is the money part, so that we don’t need to talk about. The good thing is that you get to constantly stay in basketball shape and work on things that you need to work on to better yourself.

You get to learn about different cultures and see that people are just like we are; they just do some things different than we do. The game over here is not as fast as the WNBA, but the fundamental side of it takes you back to when you first started playing as a child when that was very important.

The bad thing is that you don’t get to see your family and friends as much as you would like because the season is so long, and after the season here is over then it's right back to the WNBA, and vise versa. The time difference doesn’t always help either, but for the most part everything is going well. As many people may know last year was one of the toughest times of my life both on and off the court.

I lost my grandmother to cancer; she was my best friend, my heart, my all; I miss her very much. And the situation in L.A. with the lack of playing was kind of a struggle for me, but now I am finding myself again and I am very happy.

WNBA.com: After dealing with everything that happened last year, it must be nice just to have to deal with basketball this year.

Johnson: You took the words right out of my mouth. I am really enjoying just playing basketball, and I am having fun doing it. There are still some trying days and some days where I still want to talk to her, but all in all, it is better.

WNBA.com: You mentioned how long the season is overseas, what is it that you do in your down time, when you are not playing or practicing?

Johnson: Well, lucky for me I am in the Holy Land so there are many different sites to go and visit; there is Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, which is five hours away from me, the Sea of Galilee, etc. Our team is going on a little outing soon to the Dead Sea and Jerusalem; I am looking forward to that. The one place I really want to go is the Red Sea, I’m just not sure I will have the time to get there with us playing and all. It’s nice here and the beaches are not bad either, so that tells you that the weather is pretty nice for the most part.

WNBA.com: You have a couple of American teammates, it must be nice to have that connection while you are so far away from home?

Johnson: Yes, you are right about that. I play with Charde Houston and Kelly Schumacher, two former UConn Huskies. It is great to have them both here. Kelly is the older vet and Charde is the baby, and I am in between, so it works out well for us all. We all learn from and try to help each other.

WNBA.com: Is there anything in particular that you are working on while you are there to improve your game? Or is it just a matter of continuing to play and staying sharp?

Johnson: I always want to improve my game, so I am concentrating more on my outside shooting and being a better point guard. There is always room for improvement. Whenever you feel like there is no more room to improve then that means that you should be thinking about hanging it up. So I am working on my overall game, but the outside shooting is definitely a big key. Staying in shape is definitely a plus.

WNBA.com: I'm looking at your shooting percentages over there - 60 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range - it looks like the work is paying off.

Johnson: I am trying to stay consistent and I am in the gym often trying to put up extra shots.

WNBA.com: I want to shift to the WNBA for a minute. I know that you are a restricted free agent, what is the latest on your status, do you expect to be back in L.A.?

Johnson: I am a restricted free agent and, to be honest, it is hard to say anything about what may happen this upcoming year. I love the city of L.A., so if I am back there it would be great. If I am not there, then that mean that my time there is up and it is meant for me to be some place else. As of right now I am just working on me and my game so that I can be ready for whomever it is I will be playing for.

WNBA.com: Would returning to L.A. be your first choice?

Johnson: I would just love to play. If it’s in L.A., I am happy; if it’s anywhere else, I am happy about that as well.

WNBA.com: So how long does the Israeli league run? Do you know when you’ll return to the U.S.?

Johnson: The latest is May 9th. If I leave then that means that we will be playing for the championship here. If it is earlier than that it will mean that we didn’t win so I am hoping that we can come away with the championship.

WNBA.com: That would give you a full month before the WNBA season starts. Are you happy about the league pushing back the beginning of the season this year with the season opening in June rather than May?

Johnson: That really does help out many players as well as the teams. Now everyone can rest their bodies a little bit as well as spend the time that they need with their team to get things together instead of having to do it on a fly due to longer seasons overseas and players coming in right before the first game. I am happy about that.

WNBA.com: Before we wrap this up, I wanted to ask you about and that is your philanthropic work with your H.O.P.E. foundation. How is that going and how involved can you be while you are overseas?

Johnson: I love being able to put a smile on people's faces. It doesn’t matter the race, the age, the sex, anything. H.O.P.E is very near and dear to my heart. It is very hard to do all the things that you may want to do, because I am one that likes to be hands on with everything and not just let others do things in my name. That’s not what it is about for me. I love interacting with people, so it does become difficult at times, but every free moment I have I am there with the school that I adopted and I do have a great team that is just as passionate about what it is that we are trying to accomplish, which is giving HOPE to others.

WNBA.com: Talk to me about the school that you adopted. What kind of things do you do with the school?

Johnson: It’s an elementary school with a lot of kids that are from a family that is somewhat struggling and do not have much. So far we have put up new basketball nets and things on their courts outside -- come on now we had to make sure that they had decent basketball goals. We are also giving them more P.E. equipment to have for the kids because with the short budget that they have the P.E. class gets little to nothing for equipment. I am also trying to work with Nike to provide those that are on the honor roll with some gear or shoes, whatever they can provide.

There are also these new computer-type screens that help the kids to stay focused in class. Every kid has their own remote to participate in class and the teacher is able to tell who is participating and who is not, who is doing well and who isn’t. They can correct problems as they go along as a class because there is a percentage that shows who got it right or wrong, which tells the teacher to continue or to stop and explain for better understanding. This helps those kids that are too embarrassed to say anything in class, as well as allow everyone to participate in class. It also competes with the games and things that kids provide most of their attention to these days. So I am raising money to get them in every class for all grades

When I am home I go to the classes and sit there as well as participate also. Every time I am there I always think of that show Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader (laughs). I didn’t realize how much stuff I had forgotten since elementary school.

WNBA.com: I know what you mean. Sometimes watching that show can be depressing if you are getting questions wrong?

Johnson: (laughs) I know. Sometimes I am almost ashamed to go up to the board. But so far I have been correct on the ones that I had been chosen to do. Thank God. (laughs)

WNBA.com: You mentioned TV, which made me want to ask, do you take a bunch of DVDs or TV shows with you when you go overseas? I know some other players have done that to pass some of the time.

Johnson: Yes, I do. We also have American channels over here, which helps a lot. I also know some websites to go to so that I can watch TV shows and movies.

WNBA.com: What are some of your favorite shows?

Johnson: I love Law and Order SVU, CSI Miami, Nip Tuck, anything that Tyler Perry makes, and always something that will make me laugh. The Boondocks are hilarious.