Flau’jae Johnson Explains ‘Take It Real Personal’ Mindset in Marquee Matchups
Flau’jae Johnson may be a rookie, but she is a focal point of everything the Seattle Storm are doing this season. She ranks third in minutes and field-goal attempts per game and usually takes on the toughest perimeter assignment on defense.
In the Storm’s most recent game, she was the primary defender on Sabrina Ionescu. The New York Liberty star averages 16.3 points and 4.3 assists for the season and is not easy to guard, especially for a rookie. But Johnson is used to taking on those assignments and isn’t fazed by going up against established stars.
“I don’t really care for real,” Johnson said when asked if going up against stars, like Ionescu or Caitlin Clark, gives her any extra motivation in the postgame press conference, per a video by The Ballers Magazine. “I just try to beat my opponent. I don’t really know, big market, all that. I’ve been in big markets. So I’m like when I’m in front of these players, it’s kind of like can I make this game hard for them? Can I stop them a little bit? … I try to take it real personal.”
Ionescu scored 18 points on 7-10 shooting from the field and 4-6 from long range, but 15 of those points came in the first half and she recorded five turnovers to her five assists. Johnson was able to make adjustments defensively and bother Ionescu, even if the box score doesn’t show all of it.
Most importantly, a young team with a losing record needs the competitive energy and confidence Johnson brings on defense every single game and against any opponent to stay on track in what can be a tough process.
Johnson is putting together a great rookie season
Between Olivia Miles and Azzi Fudd, who have both been great for playoff teams, Johnson’s rookie season has been getting lost in the shuffle. Seattle isn’t winning a lot this season, but the future is bright, and Johnson, alongside Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam, is one of the reasons why.
Johnson is averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Her shooting efficiency hasn’t been great with 39.1% from the field and 26.7% from three, but she’s still making an impact on both ends of the floor.
She ranks third in points per game among rookies, trailing only Miles and Sydney Taylor. She is also second in rebounds per game, sixth in assists per game, and second in steals per game. Defensively, she also matches up very well with veteran guards in the league, ranking fifth in total steals among all guards and tying Fudd and Kennedy Burke for most blocks by a guard.
Going from a winning program like LSU to a team with a league-worst 6-26 record isn’t an easy transition, but Johnson brings energy, fearlessness, and defensive tenacity every single game. In a few years, she could be one of the best two-way wings in the W.
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Elaine Blum covers women’s basketball for On SI from Europe. She has been writing about women's hoops since 2023 and holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism and a master’s degree in American Studies with a focus on women’s and gender studies. She started playing basketball when she was 10 years old and won several league and state championships at the youth and senior level.