The Seattle Storm wrapped up the 2026 WNBA Draft as one of the clear winners of the evening. Not only did Awa Fam, a teenager with perhaps the highest ceiling in the draft, fall to them at number three, but they also acquired Flau’jae Johnson from the Golden State Valkyries in exchange for Marta Suarez, the 16th overall pick in the draft.
That trade looked much better for the Storm than the Valkyries from the second it was made official, and it only continues to look more brilliant as Johnson is finding her groove in Seattle. She just recorded back-to-back 20-point games, including the third double-double of her career, in the Storm’s two biggest wins of the season—victories over the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream.
The Storm entered the game against New York with a 3-15 record and on a brutal 11-game losing streak. Beating a top-four team, even with Breanna Stewart and Satou Sabally unavailable, was a massive accomplishment and confidence boost. Seattle’s young roster carried the momentum from that win into a matchup with Atlanta and secured a 105-90 win.
Flau’jae Johnson was instrumental in both wins
Just a game after a 37-point double-double from Dominique Malonga, Johnson dropped her own career high. She scored 28 points on 47.8% shooting from the field and 4-10 from deep against the Liberty. She also recorded 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, impacting every aspect of the game.
Johnson followed up her career game with an even more efficient 20-point performance. She recorded 24 points on 9-12 shooting from the field, including two made 3-pointers, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. She outscored everyone in the game except for Rhyne Howard, and grabbing 11 rebounds as a guard against a team that has Angel Reese playing heavy minutes in the frontcourt is very impressive.
Johnson, of course, wasn’t the sole reason for either win. Malonga also recorded a double-double against the Dream, and Fam and Natisha Hiedeman also cracked the 20-point mark. Fam also recorded 15 points and six rebounds against the Liberty, while Malonga pitched in another 20-point double-double, and Jade Melbourne dazzled with 18 points and 7 assists.
Both games highlighted how much potential the Storm’s young core has and how bright the future in Seattle can be.
Being traded was a blessing for Flau’jae Johnson
Being traded on draft night may not be the best feeling for a young player, but Johnson took it in stride, immediately sharing her excitement to make an impact in Seattle, and it was for the best. In Seattle, Johnson gets plenty of opportunities to work through mistakes and play all the developmental minutes she could possibly hope for. She is also a focal point of the team’s present and future as a highly valued building block.
With the Valkyries, on the other hand, she would have had to battle a deep group of veteran guards and wings to even make the roster—a challenge that ultimately led to Kate Martin being waived by the Valkyries—and wouldn’t have gotten many chances to play and showcase her talent. The Valkyries are in win-now mode, which allows little room for the mistakes rookies are bound to make. Even Juste Jocyte, the Valkyries’ first-ever draft pick, has only played 28 total minutes this season.
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