Flau’jae Johnson, a rookie with the Seattle Storm, signed a multiyear contract with Unrivaled and will make her three-on-three debut this winter, the league announced Monday.
“From signing one of the first NIL deals with Unrivaled to now joining the league as a player, it’s been incredible to see this journey come full circle,” Johnson said in a statement released by the league.
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Johnson is the second member of the WNBA’s 2026 rookie class to sign with Unrivaled, joining Minnesota Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, who inked a multiyear deal in April. Both players were part of the Future is Unrivaled class of 2025, an NIL initiative which sponsored 14 of the top college players. Fellow WNBA rookies Lauren Betts, Ta’Niya Latson, Kiki Rice and Azzi Fudd were also in that class.
Last week, Fudd announced she will play for Project B, a new global basketball league that plans to launch in December. She is the first member of the WNBA’s 2026 rookie class to sign with Project B, but she joins veterans like Alyssa Thomas, Jewell Loyd and Kelsey Mitchell, all of whom formerly played for Unrivaled.
Johnson’s skills fit perfectly with the style of play in three-on-three. She’s a crafty guard with a knack for creating her own shot and getting downhill. A two-time AP All-American at LSU, Johnson averaged 18.6 points en route to an Elite Eight finish as a junior in 2024-25. Her offensive production dipped in her senior year, which saw her average 14.2 points as LSU was eliminated in the Sweet 16.
She was selected eighth by the Golden State Valkyries before a draft night trade sent her to the Storm. She’s the Storm’s third-leading scorer behind Natisha Hiedeman and Dominique Malonga, averaging 11.4 points and 2.3 assists per game.
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Johnson’s Unrivaled club has yet to be determined.
The league hosted an internal draft last fall after adding two teams, the Breeze and Hive. Unrivaled’s four playoff teams were allowed to protect two players from their rosters, but all other players were divided into six position-based pods of guards, wings and forwards. The Breeze secured the first pick via a coin toss and selected Wings star Paige Bueckers.
It’s unclear how the league will navigate roster construction heading into its third season or whether it will be adding new teams.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Seattle Storm, WNBA
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