Flau'jae Johnson to Storm, Fans React to Trade After Valkyries Take LSU Star 8th in 2026 WNBA Draft

The Golden State Valkyries seemingly made a significant addition to their backcourt on Monday after selecting LSU star Flau'jae Johnson with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft, but they opted to trade her moments after the selection.

The Valkyries traded Johnson to the Seattle Storm in return for Marta Suarez (drafted 18th overall) and a 2028 second-round pick.

Johnson was one of the biggest stars in college basketball. Beyond winning a national championship with the Tigers as a true freshman in 2022-23, her burgeoning rap career expanded her influence off the court.

Fans were understandably stunned to see her traded on draft night.

In the immediate aftermath of LSU's title run, Johnson looked like a safe bet as a lottery pick once she'd be eligible to move on to the pros. Things didn't quite turn out that way as the 5'10" guard failed to make a major breakthrough.

Johnson's senior year summed up her LSU career as a whole.

Across 35 games, she averaged 14.2 points on 46.5 percent shooting, including 39.3 percent from beyond the arc, and she stepped up in big moments. She had a double-double (23 points and 10 rebounds) in a January win over Oklahoma and then dropped 21 points on the Sooners in the SEC tournament. She finished with 21 points and eight boards in a losing effort against South Carolina in February.

Johnson's obvious talent made her inconsistency all the more frustrating. She was a sub-70 percent shooter from the charity stripe, and her worst performances coincided with some of LSU's toughest games.

Vanderbilt held Johnson scoreless in January. In the SEC tourney semifinal, she had six points on 1-of-8 shooting as the Gamecocks sent the Tigers packing. She went for 21 combined points in two games against Texas.

"Johnson still struggles when her shot isn't falling, often taking herself out of games," Hunter Cruse wrote in his March mock draft for Bleacher Report. "Her tendency to settle for tough jumpers and inability to finish with her left hand are also major issues. A lot of these inconsistencies come down to poor processing, so how improvable is that exactly?"

Johnson's one of those prospects where it's equally plausible to imagine her hitting her ceiling and becoming an All-Star or failing to put it all together and winding up in a rotational role.