Ex-LSU Tigers star Flau'jae Johnson explodes onto the WNBA scene, lighting up the preseason for the Seattle Storm.
Ex-LSU Tigers star Flau'jae Johnson is already showcasing why she should have been taken earlier in the draft as she looked fantastic in her first two preseason games with the Seattle Storm.
The Storm traded two second round picks to the Golden State Valkyries for the No. 8 overall Johnson's draft rights. It was a deal that was agreed upon before the draft, so Seattle got the player they were targeting.
Through two preseason games, she averaged 16.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists and a steal on 45.5/44.4/88.9 shooting splits. Obviously the playmaking would need to be better over a larger sample size, but that's not too far off of a statline she would put up for the Tigers this past season.
Scoring has come easily for Johnson all of her career, so it's good to see that shine as a professional right away.
It'll be interesting to see how much the Storm asks her to shoot the ball. She was a career 37.3% shooter from deep in college, but that just wasn't a focus of Kim Mulkey's offense. She is 4-of-9 through two games so far. Adding some consistent volume from three would take her offensive bag to the next level.
Johnson can earn some early playing time for Seattle. They're in a transitional period as a team and need some youth to develop at guard. She was drafted both for her potential, and the fact that she is very experience for a rookie and should be ready to contribute from the start.
While it's just the preseason, Johnson has at least proven she belongs at this level of basketball already.
Other Tigers in the Preseason
Angel Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream this past offseason and made her debut with them on Wednesday night against the Chicago Sky. She only played 13 minutes, but stuffed the stat sheet per usual with eight points, seven boards, two assists and three steals. It was classic Reese, despite the new uniform.
Aneesah Morrow had a dominant preseason debut with the Connecticut Sun, putting up 21 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a block on 70% from the field. She looked like she did in purple and gold. Perhaps she can take over for the Sun this season after battling inconsistency as a rookie.