Golden State Valkyries Select LSU Tigers Guard Flau'jae Johnson With No. 8 Pick

TL;DR

The Golden State Valkyries selected LSU Tigers guard Flau'jae Johnson with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. Johnson, who averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 rebounds, is expected to be a key player for the franchise as it builds its identity.

The Golden State Valkyries have selected former LSU Tigers guard Flau'jae Johnson with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. The second first-round pick in franchise history, as they joined the league just last year.

Johnson now gets to go to a team searching for an identity and a new fanbase looking for players to root for. There are few better people to build a team around, both on and off the court. She has the tools to be a leader for this Valkyries team in just a few seasons.

The Savannah, GA native averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals on 46.5/39.3/69.3 shooting splits. It was a bit of a dip in production, but that was a product of how the team was built. The Tigers got everyone involved, rather than seeing just a few players put up big numbers. When LSU needed Johnson, she stepped up.

As a junior, Johnson averaged 18.6 points on 46.5/38.3/81.0 splits, just to show that she certainly could put up bigger numbers.

Throughout her college career, she played a key role in getting the school's first-ever NCAA championship as a freshman, made two All-American teams and added three All-SEC nods.

Johnson has now made this five straight WNBA drafts to feature a Tiger, each year of the Kim Mulkey era. Mulkey has completely changed the outlook of this program in every way, and Johnson was a big part of that. This is the third one to feature a first-rounder, joining Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow.

Q&A

What were Flau'jae Johnson's college statistics at LSU?

Flau'jae Johnson averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals during her time at LSU.

Why did the Golden State Valkyries select Flau'jae Johnson with the No. 8 pick?

The Valkyries selected Johnson for her potential to be a leader and to help establish the team's identity as they build a new fanbase.

How significant is Flau'jae Johnson's selection for the Golden State Valkyries?

Johnson's selection is significant as it marks the second first-round pick in the franchise's history since they joined the WNBA last year.