Flau’jae Johnson made her preseason debut in the starting lineup for the Storm in a 78-76 loss to the Valkyries. The game took place on Saturday night at Chase Center. Johnson had been traded from Golden State to Seattle on draft night. She considers one of her talents to be adapting to anything that comes her way.
Johnson’s First WNBA Game
Johnson said, “It’s crazy, I was just walking out there like, ‘Wow, I’m in the WNBA.’” She noted the differences from her time with LSU. “Warmups is different, it’s not the same. I’m not with LSU, locker room’s different, routine’s different.” Johnson added, “But I’m good at adjusting so I feel like I’m doing pretty well. It’s going fast, but I kind of operate well in chaos.”
Johnson received a warm ovation when introduced before the game. She said afterward how much that warm welcome meant, stating, “That was cool, I’ve got a lot of love for the Bay, I love the Bay.” She appreciated the electric atmosphere.
“Hit some shots, talking to the crowd, that was fun,” Johnson said. “Just being able to play my first, getting a little touch of the pro game, especially with my teammates, we’ve been playing each other and playing with guys so it felt good to play a different opponent.”
On-Court Performance and Coach’s Reaction
Johnson missed her initial two field-goal tries before a layup at the 8:32 mark of the second quarter. She finished with 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting in 23 minutes.
Coach Sonia Raman said, “I think she settled in really nicely and this is her first game as a pro.” Raman added, “So I thought she did a really good job of staying with it and really trying to focus on the defensive side of the ball every time down, and that’s what we’re going to keep talking about.”
Draft and Trade Details
Johnson was drafted No. 8 overall by the Valkyries on April 13 out of LSU. Her rights were then sent to Seattle in exchange for the rights to forward Marta Suarez of TCU along with a 2028 second-round selection. Suarez was the first pick of the second round at No. 16 overall.
Johnson said she was as surprised as everybody else with the deal. “It was amazing. It was a great time, highlight of my life,” Johnson said outside the Storm locker room before the game. “Yeah, for sure, definitely but I’m excited. I’m glad how things went.”
Adapting to a New Team
Johnson has been leaning on Seattle’s veteran players to become more comfortable at the next level. She is learning and communicating at every chance to familiarise herself with the team’s system.
It doesn’t hurt there is a new head coach in Raman and many fresh faces, so everybody is figuring things out together. “Very comforting because I’m used to that,” she said. “At LSU, we were building first year. (Coach Kim) Mulkey was in her first year with her group so it’s definitely that same feeling. Everybody’s learning each other. That’s a great way to enter the group, so I’m blessed to be in that position.”
Now, Johnson can’t wait to get going as a WNBA rookie.