The Golden State Valkyries faced backlash after trading eighth overall pick Flauājae Johnson to the Seattle Storm for Marta Suarez and a future pick. Fans are frustrated, especially after the Valkyries cut Suarez before the season began.
Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images, David Gonzales-Imagn Images, X via Nathan Canilao
The Golden State Valkyries had an immensely successful 2025 season, considering it was the franchiseās inaugural season in the WNBA. The Valkyries made the playoffs in its first year of existence, and although it lost in the first round, there was a lot to be excited about.
Fans were hopeful that Golden State would carry its momentum into the 2026 season, but many are deeply frustrated with the franchise as of late. The Valkyries selected former LSU Tigers Star Flauājae Johnson with the eighth overall pick in the draft.
Johnson seemed like a perfect fit for an ascending team comprised primarily of role players. However, she was traded to the Seattle Storm for Marta Suarez, the 16th overall pick, and a 2027 second-round pick. Fans were frustrated by the trade alone, but were even more perplexed when Golden State made the tough decision to cut Suarez ahead of the season.
On Tuesday, Golden Stateās media day, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin spoke on the franchiseās process, maintaining that the Johnson trade was for cap flexibility reasons.
āWe traded the rights of our No. 8 pick for the rights of the 16th pick and a future secondā¦ why we waived a specific athlete is part of understanding the new CBAā¦There are a lot of things we need to take into consideration when it comes to the status of an athlete, years of experience etc. Thereās more to come. Thereās a lot more to think through in the next 48 hours,ā Nyanin said, according to The Athleticās Annie Costabile.
āA lot of athletes are in consideration for these developmental spotsā¦ we want to make sure we arenāt signing athletes & then waiving them, signing & then releasing them. Thatās not the type of organization we are. We want to be very intentional with how we use those spots,ā Nyanin added.
Still, fans have been deeply critical of the front officeās recent operations.
The Valkyries traded Flauājae Johnson to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Marta Suarez and a future draft pick, but the reasons behind the trade have not been clearly explained.
The trade led to significant fan frustration, particularly as the team cut Marta Suarez before the season started, raising questions about the decision-making process.
In their inaugural 2025 season, the Golden State Valkyries made the playoffs but were eliminated in the first round, marking a successful start for the franchise.
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āJoe Lacob is turning into a pretty bad owner,ā someone else added.
āTt still doesnāt make any sense to me. If you know every year, youāre not gonna use your draft picks, then why wouldnāt you just trade them until itās a draft youāre really interested in or to get players in the league that you want in exchange,ā one fan added.
Only time will tell if Golden State made the right decision.
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