WNBA rookie Flau'jae Johnson on handling losses, embracing optimism and getting praise from A'ja Wilson
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- Flau'jae Johnson was selected No. 8 overall by the Golden State Valkyries in April and traded to the Seattle Storm, where she's averaging 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals per game and has stayed in the top five of CBS Sports' WNBA rookie rankings.
- The Storm sit at 6-27 at the bottom of the WNBA standings, and Johnson has already lost more games as a pro than she did across her entire four-year LSU career (141 games, only 20 losses).
- Johnson scored a career-high 28 points in a 99-88 win over the New York Liberty on June 25, snapping an 11-game losing streak; afterward, Breanna Stewart — who sat out that night for rest — autographed a pair of Stewie 3 sneakers for the rookie.
- A'ja Wilson told Johnson at the free throw line, "You are doing your thing. Keep working. Keep doing your thing," prompting Johnson to say hearing it from the four-time MVP was "cool" because "she's been watching me and she wants me to keep going."
- Johnson credits LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey — whom she calls her "best friend" — with continuing to write her a film outline and review game footage remotely, despite her move to the WNBA.
- Johnson framed the Storm's losing season as a long-term investment, saying, "What we are building right now is going to be very special," even though the team is on the verge of finishing last in the league.
Why it matters: Johnson's individual production — a career-high 28-point game and a season-long top-five rookie ranking — is happening on a 6-27 Storm team that hasn't come close to playoff contention, meaning the franchise's rebuild effectively runs through a 21-year-old already endorsed by A'ja Wilson as a player doing "her thing."
