Valkyries GM: Flau'jae Johnson trade agreed upon before pick was made

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Golden State Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the stunning trade that sent Flau'jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm on draft night was agreed upon before the former LSU guard was selected.

The Valkyries took Johnson with the eighth pick in Monday's WNBA draft and subsequently dealt her to the Storm for the draft rights to Marta Suarez and a 2028 2nd-round pick.

Seattle chose Suarez, a small forward out of TCU, with the 16th overall pick prior to the trade being announced.

"Seattle and I had an agreement to trade picks prior to any athlete selection," Nyanin told Kendra Andrews and Alexa Philippou of ESPN. "I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau'jae or any specific athlete selection."

Johnson, 22, makes the leap to the WNBA after four years in Baton Rouge, where she earned two All-American third-team nods and won a national championship with the Tigers in 2023.

Johnson flexes both style and substance, blending athleticism and a versatile offensive game with superb shot selection and playmaking in transition. Detractors will highlight her mercurial senior season as a concern, but she carries a lot of upside as well.

Nationality: American
Position: Shooting guard
Height: 5-foot-11