The Golden State Valkyries selected Flau'jae Johnson and then traded her to the Seattle Storm.
The Golden State Valkyries drafted LSU star Flau'jae Johnson with the eighth pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
However, less than an hour after selecting Johnson, the Valkyries traded her to the Seattle Storm.
The trade left many in the draft room stunned, with audible gasps as commissioner Cathy Engelbert delivered the blockbuster news.
"Seattle and I had an agreement to trade picks prior to any athlete selection," Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin told ESPN. "I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau'jae or any specific athlete selection."
Sources told ESPN that Golden State and Seattle spoke before the 2026 draft about a potential trade framework, but the deal wasn't agreed to until the Valkyries were on the clock with the No. 8 selection.
Golden State made the decision to trade down to the second round after the players they were eyeing were taken earlier in the first round.
Seattle instructed Golden State to pick Johnson, and later at No. 16, the first pick of the second round, Golden State instructed Seattle to select Marta Suarez, a 6-foot-3 forward out of TCU.
In exchange for Johnson, the Valkyries also acquired a 2028 second-round selection.
"We didn't think that [Johnson] would be available at that point," Storm general manager Talisa Rhea said in a postdraft news conference. "We had been in conversations, and so, as we got closer to that pick, once it became a reality, just really excited."
Johnson spent four years in college at LSU. She averaged 14.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest in 141 games. The talented guard won the NCAA championship in 2023 and the SEC Rookie of the Year Award.
"We're really excited how [Johnson] aligns and helps us this year, but also is going to be a really important piece for us as we're building for the future," Rhea said.
This season at LSU, Johnson averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. She shot 39.3% from beyond the arc.