Kendra Andrews and Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on XMultiple AuthorsApr 14, 2026, 02:21 AM ET
After a draft-night trade that sent former LSU All-American and 2023 national champion Flau’jae Johnson to the Seattle Storm less than an hour after the Golden State Valkyries selected her with the No. 8 pick, Golden State general manager Ohemaa Nyanin told ESPN that the teams agreed upon the trade before the draft picks were submitted.
Storm general manager Talisa Rhea said the team had been looking for an opportunity to move up in the draft and acquire another impact player.
“We didn’t think that [Johnson] would be available at that point,” Rhea said in a post-draft news conference. “We had been in conversations, and so, as we got closer to that pick, once it became a reality, just really excited.”
In exchange for Johnson, the Valkyries acquired the draft rights to Marta Suarez, whom Seattle selected with the first pick of the second round (No. 16), and a 2028 second-round selection.
The trade, which was announced just ahead of the No. 17 pick, left many in the room stunned, with audible gasps as commissioner Cathy Engelbert delivered the news.
Suarez, a 6-foot-3 post player, played at Tennessee, Cal and most recently TCU, where she averaged 17.1 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 37% from the 3-point arc this season.
“Marta is fierce. She’s fearless,” Nyanin said in her news conference. “We have looked at her for a really long time. … She has a very high basketball IQ. Her high character is off the charts. … We felt like she would be a great fit.”
The Storm, meanwhile, selected Awa Fam Thiam with the No. 3 pick. They also have other young stars, such as Dominique Malonga, the No. 2 pick from the 2025 draft, and Ezi Magbegor, who is 26 years old and entering her seventh season.
“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.
Johnson finished her college career tied for the second-most wins and sixth-most points in LSU history. She averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals during her senior season, which ended in a Sweet 16 upset for the Tigers.
Kendra Andrews and Alexa PhilippouCloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on XMultiple Authors
CloseAlexa PhilippouESPNCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA Previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for the Hartford Courant Stanford graduate and Baltimore native with further experience at the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati EnquirerFollow on X