Flau’jae Johnson heard her name called on draft night with cameras flashing and family cheering, but her next move came faster than anyone in the room expected.
The LSU guard was selected eighth overall in the WNBA Draft by the Golden State Valkyries before being traded minutes later to the Seattle Storm. The deal sent Johnson to Seattle in exchange for a 2028 second-round pick and TCU forward Marta Suárez, who went 16th overall.
At the time of her initial selection, Johnson was still processing the moment. “It still kind of hasn’t hit me yet, I don’t think, all the way,” she said. “But I mean, just totally grateful, having my family there, my little brother there. Like, that was everything to me. I’m very excited, just coming from college to now the pros.”
She continued, “I’m officially a drafted pro, so it means a lot to me, and I just want to go and make an impact.”
Johnson leaves LSU as one of the program’s standout contributors during a historic stretch. Over four seasons, she scored more than 2,000 points and helped lead the Tigers to a national championship in her freshman year, along with multiple deep tournament runs.
Her ability to score efficiently while defending on the perimeter made her a strong prospect heading into the draft. “I think pressure makes diamonds,” Johnson said, “and I’m super excited to come and add what I can. All I want to do is add value.”
Now headed to Seattle, Johnson enters the league with momentum, opportunity, and something to prove right away.
