The Seattle Storm announced on Apr. 14 a trade with Golden State, acquiring the draft rights to Flau’jae Johnson, who was selected eighth overall, in exchange for the draft rights to Marta Suarez (16th overall) and Seattle’s own second-round pick in the 2028 draft.
The move brings Johnson, a standout player from Louisiana State University, to Seattle. The Storm said they are looking forward to adding her skills and energy to their roster.
“Flau’jae is one of the most dynamic, creative and explosive players in this draft and we’re excited to get another first round pick to select her,” said Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea. “Her playmaking, ability to score in multiple ways and energy on both ends of the court will impact our team immediately. We can’t wait for Flau’jae to get to Seattle.”
Johnson played four years at LSU where she averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during her senior season while shooting 46.5 percent from the field. She earned First-Team All-SEC honors as well as Third-Team All-American recognition in 2026 after scoring double digits in 27 games that season, including nine games with more than twenty points scored.
Throughout her college career, Johnson received several awards such as being named Third-Team All-American (2025), First-Team All-SEC (2025), Second-Team All-SEC (2024), SEC Freshman of the Year (2023), and selection for the SEC All-Freshman Team that same year. In addition, she helped LSU win an NCAA Championship as a starting shooting guard in 2023 and became only the sixth player at LSU ever to surpass two thousand career points.
