Flau’jae Johnson Has Real Path to WNBA Rookie of the Year
One of the most interesting decisions from the 2026 WNBA Draft involved former LSU Tigers star guard Flau'jae Johnson.
The Golden State Valkyries selecting her with the No. 8 overall pick didn't come as a surprise, given that's around the spot she was expected to be selected. Rather, news breaking shortly after that Golden State had traded Flau'jae to the Seattle Storm in exchange for the draft rights to Marta Suarez (who was the No. 16 overall pick) and a 2028 second-round pick is what raised eyebrows.
Regardless of the Valkyries' motive in making this new move, the bottom line was that Flau'jae was headed to Seattle. And while she seemingly would have been a great fit in Golden State, her joining the Storm seems to put her in ideal position for winning the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
Why Flau'jae Johnson Could Have Clear Path to WNBA Rookie of the Year
Becoming the WNBA Rookie of the Year is about opportunity. Most years, the WNBA Draft's No. 1 pick has the best opportunities, given that the team they're usually drafted to was among the league's worst the season prior and doesn't have a ton of talent.
This was the case with Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever in 2024 and Paige Bueckers' Dallas Wings in 2025. However, the same can't be said for No. 1 pick Azzi Fudd this year, as she joined Bueckers in Dallas. Therefore, Fudd will likely be the third scoring option for the Wings this year, behind Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale.
Not to mention that Flau'jae will be a primary ball handler for Seattle, just Clark and Bueckers were for their teams. And there isn't a lot of veteran competition to take shots and minutes away from Flau'jae, especially because the Storm will want to give her as many on-court minutes as possible to develop.
Awa Fam was the No. 2 pick and is also playing for the Storm. However, she's seen as more of a raw prospect and will likely need a season or two of developing before she really hits her stride. And the Storm showed a willingness to be patient with their young bigs through Dominique Malonga last year.
Olivia Miles (the draft's No. 3 pick) will be the Minnesota Lynx's third option once Napheesa Collier is back healthy. Both Lauren Betts and Georgia Amoore are interesting Rookie of the Year candidates for the Washington Mystics, but they also have more competition for playing time. The same goes with Kiki Rice on the Toronto Tempo.
What's for sure is that the ROTY race seems much more open than it has been in the past few seasons. And after what Flau'jae showed in her first preseason game (12 points in 23 minutes), she could have the most direct route to the 2026 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
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Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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