Flau’Jae Johnson’s time as a member of the Golden State Valkyrie lasted about as long as it took me to write this report.
Johnson was selected in the first round, 8th overall, of Monday night’s WNBA Draft by the Golden State Valkyrie; her draft right were subsequently traded to the Seattle Storm for the rights to Marta Sauarez—whom Seattle selected 16th overall—and a 2028 second round pick.
Johnson is the third consecutive first round pick LSU has produced, following Aneesah Morrow last year and Angel
Reese in 2024; Morrow and Reese were both selected seventh overall.
Big Feaux is one of the most beloved players the program has ever produced. Johnson was a four-year starter for the Tigers, helped LSU claim it’s first national championship as a freshman, and finished her career as the sixth player to ever eclipse 2,000 points scored. She leaves LSU having played in 141 career games (4th all-time) and started 139 times (2nd all-time).
Johnson won the SEC’s Freshman of the Year honor in 2023; she was a third-team All-American in 2025 and 2026, and was an All-SEC selection all four years (Freshman All-SEC in 2023, Second-Team in 2024, and First-Team in 2025 and ‘26).
Even more impressive than her achievements on the court is what she’s done off of it. Johnson won the inaugural Kay Yow Servant Leader of the Year Award, and was LSU’s representative for the SEC’s Community Service Team. She is also, of course, building a name for herself in the music industry, and is signed to Jay-Z’s label, Roc Nation. Flau’Jae mentioned on the broadcast that she has a new single releasing soon.
Johnson’s bank account is also a big winner of tonight’s draft. The WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association agreed to a new CBA in March and rookies are now signing for more money than ever before. Being the 8th overall pick, Johnson will earn about $310,000 this upcoming season, and at the end of her four-year contract she’ll make $400,000 just in base salary. For context, Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in last year’s draft, earned just under $80,000 in salary last season.
