Flau’jae Johnson’s time with the Golden State Valkyries was short-lived.
After selecting the LSU senior with the seventh-overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday, the Bay Area ball club rerouted Johnson to the Seattle Storm in exchange for the draft rights to Marta Suarez (No. 16) and a 2028 second-round pick.
Johnson, 22, was a two-time All-American with the Tigers and averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals through 35 games. She also shot a career-best 39.3 per cent from beyond the arc this season. The guard was a four-year starter with UCLA, helping the Tigers to a national title in her freshman season.
In this year’s tournament, Johnson upped her scoring to 19.0 points through three games to pair with her consistently impactful defence.
Johnson became the first player drafted into the WNBA out of Savannah, G.A.
As for Suarez, she now makes her way to the Valkyries after a breakout senior season. The wing from TCU averaged a career-best 17.1 points to go with 7.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 37.0 per cent from distance on six attempts per game.
The Spanish senior was named All-Big 12 for her efforts this season.