Flau'jae Johnson, a Savannah native and LSU basketball star, was selected high in the NBA draft. Her achievement marks a significant milestone in her athletic career.
Jorge Cuartas, a SCAD graduate and resident of Colorado, works on a mural painting of Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
Apr 13, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Flau'jae Johnson poses for a photo on the orange carpet before the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Flau'jae Johnson of LSU celebrates after being selected with the 8th pick in the first round by the Golden State Valkyries.
Windsor Forest basketball player Heaven Sperry, with her mom, was at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026 to support Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson.
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (right) poses for photos with Flau'Jae Johnson who was selected eighth overall by the Golden State Valkyries.
Flau'jae Johnson #4 of the Louisiana State Tigers gestures during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on February 19, 2026 in Oxford, Mississippi.
Ka'Mera Bryant, 4, was on hand to cheer for Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
Flau'Jae Johnson 4, LSU Tigers WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball take on Texas Tech in the 2026 NCAA Div I WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball Championship at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sunday, March 22, 2026.
A crowd of Flau'jae Johnson supporters at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club for a WNBA Draft Watch Party on April 13, 2026.
Flau'Jae Johnson 4, LSU Tigers WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball take on Texas Tech in the 2026 NCAA Div I WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball Championship at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Akeelah Walker, with her children Jabreena Davis (center) and Rashad Williams was on hand to support Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
The crowd reacts when Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson was selected at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
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Jorge Cuartas, a SCAD graduate and resident of Colorado, works on a mural painting of Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
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Jorge Cuartas, a SCAD graduate and resident of Colorado, works on a mural painting of Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
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Apr 13, 2026; New York, NY, USA; Flau'jae Johnson poses for a photo on the orange carpet before the 2026 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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Flau'jae Johnson of LSU celebrates after being selected with the 8th pick in the first round by the Golden State Valkyries.
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Windsor Forest basketball player Heaven Sperry, with her mom, was at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026 to support Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson.
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WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert (right) poses for photos with Flau'Jae Johnson who was selected eighth overall by the Golden State Valkyries.
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Flau'jae Johnson #4 of the Louisiana State Tigers gestures during the first half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Pavilion at Ole Miss on February 19, 2026 in Oxford, Mississippi.
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Ka'Mera Bryant, 4, was on hand to cheer for Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
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Flau'Jae Johnson 4, LSU Tigers WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball take on Texas Tech in the 2026 NCAA Div I WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball Championship at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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A crowd of Flau'jae Johnson supporters at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club for a WNBA Draft Watch Party on April 13, 2026.
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Flau'Jae Johnson 4, LSU Tigers WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball take on Texas Tech in the 2026 NCAA Div I WomenââŹâ˘s Basketball Championship at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sunday, March 22, 2026.
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Akeelah Walker, with her children Jabreena Davis (center) and Rashad Williams was on hand to support Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
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The crowd reacts when Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson was selected at a WNBA Draft Watch Party at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club on April 13, 2026.
Savannah native and LSU basketball stat Flau'jae Johnson was in New York City for the WNBA Draft on Monday night as she was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the first round with the eighth overall pick.
She was later traded, but stayed on the West Coast as she was dealt to the Seattle Storm for the rights to Marta Suårez and a second round pick.
There was a gathering of friends and supporters at a watch party in Savannah where everything started for Flau'jae at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club as a crowd watched as the talented 22-year old guard's basketball future was set in motion.
Flau'jae was at The Shed in Hudson Yards in New York City as one of 15 college stars invited to be on site for the WNBA Draft.
Johnson moved from Savannah to play high school ball for Sprayberry High in Marietta where she became a national star â earning a spot in the McDonald's All-American game. She signed with LSU and became a game changer at guard in her freshman year when she helped lead LSU to its first NCAA title. She averaged 11.0 points and 5.9 rebounds and was named the SEC Freshman of the Year.
She earned second-team All-SEC pick as a sophomore and earned first-team All-SEC honors her junior and senior seasons. This season, the senior averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists and helped lead the Tigers to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Duke on a buzzer beater.
Johnson grew up playing all the sports at the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club and is a strong supporter of the organization, which does so much to help Savannah youth and their families.
The daughter of the late Savannah rapper Camoflauge, Flau'jae is more than just a basketball star. She has followed in her father's footsteps to become a stellar musical artist herself with hits such as "Can't Get Enough," "Guns Down," and "Came Out a Beast."
Flau'jae Johnson of LSU celebrates after being selected with the 8th pick in the first round by the Golden State Valkyries.
Karen Hamilton Thompson has worked at the Frank Callen Boy's & Girls Club for 19 years and currently serves as the Director of Operations. She set up the watch party so the youngsters could see one of Savannah's own make her dreams come true. She said she has known Flau'jae since she was about five years old.
"She was an awesome kid with a great personality and always had a great work ethic," Hamilton Thompson said. "She is very hard working, and very humble. She was the only girl on the boys baseball team and the boys basketball team when she was young. I remember seeing her get upset at the boys in a game they were losing because she felt like they weren't playing hard enough.
"This is an amazing moment â just to be able to watch her grow from a kid to an adult. To win a national championship at LSU and now to be drafted into the WNBA. We're just happy for all the things to she has accomplished. And she hasn't forgotten where she came from. She does everything from running turkey drives to giving cars to some of our parents. She always includes the Frank Callen Club in everything she does â she donated $10,000 to our Social and Emotional Wellness Program â so we're very grateful for everything she has done."
The moment she was selected in the draft, the kids at the Frank Callen Boy's & Girls Club erupted in joy. In New York, the look of satisfaction on Flau'jae's face was broadcast across the nation live on ESPN as she shared the experience with her mother, brothers and LSU coach Kim Mulkey.
ESPN reporter Holly Rowe has known Flau'jae since her freshman year and mentioned that when they met, Flau'jae said she had goals that included getting drafted high, winning a Grammy award for her music and starting her own record label.
"I'm just going to keep checking things off the list," Flau'jae told Rowe on the broadcast. "When I was in high school, I wasn't even ranked. It took a lot of hard work â blood, sweat and tears and now I'm here at the draft. This is incredible.
"I'm the first ever WNBA draft pick from Savannah, Georgia â so this means so much."
Flau'jae said her family has been so important in her journey, and she takes pride in representing it.
"For me, it's being somebody that they can look up to, somebody they're proud to call their sister, somebody that can show them you can do anything you want to â be confident and walk in this world like you deserve to be there," she said.
Flau'jae's impact in her hometown of Savannah has been impressive. She holds a back-to-school giveaway event every summer and has come back to the Frank Callen Boys & Girls Club many times to support the community she grew up in.
Heaven Sperry is a senior at Windsor Forest who played for the Knights basketball team and is headed to South Carolina State to pursue her college degree. She said Flau'jae has done everything the right way and is a role model.
"She's come to the Boys & Girls Club to talk to us a few times and she's very inspirational â on and off the court," Sperry said. "I love the way she gives back to the community. She showed me that if you want something, you can make it happen."
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter:Â @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah native Flau'jae Johnson reaches dream as a 1st-round WNBA draft pick
Flau'jae Johnson was drafted by the New York Liberty in the 2026 NBA draft.
Flau'jae Johnson plays as a guard.
Flau'jae Johnson played for Louisiana State University (LSU) before entering the NBA draft.
Flau'jae Johnson was selected in the 2026 NBA draft held on April 13, 2026.
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