The Golden State Valkyries traded former LSU All-American and 2023 national champion Flau’jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm less than an hour after Golden State selected her with the No. 8 pick in Monday’s WNBA draft in New York.
In exchange for Johnson, the Valkyries acquired the draft rights to Marta Suarez, whom Seattle selected with the first pick of the second round, and a 2028 second-round selection.
Johnson has been one of the biggest names and most dynamic guards in women’s basketball since she helped LSU win its first national championship during her freshman season. She is also a well-known rapper who’s signed with Roc Nation.
Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin declined to go into detail Monday night about the trade.
“I’m going to take a beat to be able to eloquently give a response,” Nyanin said. “I don’t have a lot of detail to share. One, because I’m exhausted. Two, because I want to be very thoughtful when I’m talking about other humans and their basketball abilities and how they would or would not show up for our squad.”
Asked whether salary cap implications might have impacted the trade, Nyanin responded, “I don’t talk or comment about salary cap, so wouldn’t be able to answer the question in a way.”
Suarez, a 6-foot-3 post player, previously played at Tennessee, Cal and most recently TCU, where she averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 37% from the 3-point arc this season.
The Storm, meanwhile, selected Awa Fam Thiam with the No. 3 pick Monday. They also have other young stars, such as Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 pick from the 2025 draft, and Ezi Magbegor, who is 26 years old and entering her seventh season.
Storm general manager Talisa Rhea said the team was looking for an opportunity to move up in the draft and get another impact player.
“The opportunity to add Flau’jae was really exciting and incredible for us,” Rhea said. “We didn’t think that she would be available at that point. We had been in conversations, and so, as we got closer to that pick, once it became a reality, just really excited.
“We’re really excited how she aligns and helps us this year, but also is going to be a really important piece for us as we’re building for the future.”
Johnson finished her collegiate career tied for the second-most wins and sixth-most points in LSU history. She averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals during her senior season, which ended in a Sweet 16 upset for the Tigers.
