LSU Women's Basketball Star Flau'jae Johnson Selected in First Round of WNBA Draft

NEW YORK – LSU women’s basketball guard Flau’jae Johnson was selected No. 8 overall Monday night in the first round of the WNBA Draft by the Golden State Valkyries prior to being traded to the Seattle Storm just minutes later.

Rounds 1-3 of the draft is being conducted Monday evening in New York in The Shed at Hudson Yards. The draft order consists of 15 picks per round.

For the third year in a row, a player from LSU was selected in the first round; the Chicago Sky selected Angel Reese with the seventh pick in 2024 and the Connecticut Sun picked Aneesah Morrow with the seventh overall selection in 2025.

Johnson signals the 25th LSU player to be selected in the WNBA Draft and the seventh since Coach Kim Mulkey took over the program. Johnson is the 26th player to get drafted with Mulkey as their college head coach.

This marks the fifth year in a row that LSU has had a player selected in the WNBA Draft. The WNBA season begins on May 8.

Johnson, a native of Savannah, Ga., recently completed an incredible four-year career with LSU, which has become rare in the transfer portal era.

She played and started in all 35 games the Tigers played and was LSU’s second-leading scorer, averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per contest. Johnson scored in double digits 27 times including nine outings with 20-plus points.

BREAKING: #LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson is Golden State bound after being selected by the Valkyries in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Johnson’s iconic career in Baton Rouge:
- National Champion
- 1st Team All-SEC
- All-American
- SEC Freshman of the Year

Now, add Top-10 pick to the résumé. pic.twitter.com/4Qf699MO06
— Zack Nagy (@znagy20) April 13, 2026

Johnson finished her career as one of 14 active players in the 2025-26 season to have 2,000-plus points while in college. For her efforts, she earned a spot on the Third Team for All-America lists published by the Associated Press and USBWA and was a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, which is given to the nation’s top shooting guard. Johnson was also selected to the All-SEC First Team for the second straight season.

Johnson contributed to the Tigers’ 95 points per game which established the SEC record for scoring offense. She also played a vital role in LSU’s 16 100-point games that set an NCAA Division I record for 100-point games in a season.

In the SEC Tournament against Oklahoma, Johnson became the sixth LSU player to surpass 2,000 career points. She joined Joyce Walker (2,906), Seimone Augustus (2,702), Julie Gross (2,488), Cornelia Gayden (2,451), Sylvia Fowles (2,234). Johnson closed her time in Baton Rouge with 2,063 points.

Her community service shined in her final season, earning the inaugural Kay Yow Servant Leader of the Year Award. She was also selected as LSU’s representative on the SEC Community Service Team.

In her senior season, Johnson led the team in field goals made (190) and field goal attempts (409). She also finished her career ranked No. 4 at LSU in games played (141) and No. 2 in games started (139). She also ranks 7th at LSU all-time in postseason games played with 17, reaching the Final Four once, Elite Eight twice, and Sweet 16 four times.

Johnson capped her career with one national championship that came during her freshman season.

LSU WNBA Draftees (25)
Player Year Team Round Pick
Elaine Powell 1999 Orlando 4 50
Katrina Hibbert 2000 Seattle 4 57
Marie Ferdinand 2001 Utah 1 8
April Brown 2001 Indiana 4 51
Aiysha Smith 2003 Washington 1 7
DeTrina White 2003 Indiana 2 20
Ke-Ke Tardy 2003 San Antonio 2 25
Doneeka Hodges 2004 Los Angeles 2 25
Temeka Johnson 2005 Washington 1 6
Seimone Augustus 2006 Minnesota 1 1
Scholanda Dorrell 2006 Sacramento 1 14
Sylvia Fowles 2008 Chicago 1 2
Erica White 2008 Houston 2 17
Quianna Chaney 2008 Chicago 2 19
Allison Hightower 2010 Connecticut 2 15
LaSondra Barrett 2012 Washington 1 10
Theresa Plaisance 2014 Tulsa 3 27
Raigyne Moncrief-Louis 2018 Las Vegas 3 25
Khayla Pointer 2022 Las Vegas 2 13
Faustine Aifuwa 2022 Las Vegas 3 35
LaDazhia Williams 2023 Indiana 2 16
Alexis Morris 2023 Connecticut 2 22
Angel Reese 2024 Chicago 1 7
Aneesah Morrow 2025 Connecticut 1 7
Flau’jae Johnson 2026 Golden State 1 8

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LSU Football's No. 1 Transfer Addition Revealed as Lane Kiffin's Top Offensive Weapon

Lane Kiffin Reveals Definitive Statement on Will Wade Returning to LSU Tigers

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