Flau’jae Johnson traded moments after being drafted by Golden State Valkyries
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Flau’jae Johnson was selected No. 8 overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday night. She was traded to another team not even an hour later.
The former LSU Tigers star will play for the Seattle Storm after being originally drafted by the Golden State Valkyries. In exchange, the Storm will send Matra Suarez and a 2nd round pick to Golden State — meaning Golden State traded the No. 8 pick for the No. 16 pick and a 2028 2nd round selection.
Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin told ESPN that the trade was previously agreed upon, and that it had nothing to do with the LSU star. Apparently, Seattle had its eye on Johnson from the beginning.
“Seattle and I had an agreement to trade picks prior to any athlete selection,” Nyanin told ESPN after the draft. “I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau’jae or any specific athlete selection.”
It’s hard to blame Seattle, too. Johnson is an impressive talent who averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game with the Tigers, and she was a key cog in LSU’s 2023 national title.
Johnson finished her LSU career tied for second in most career wins and 6th in total points.
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Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
