SEATTLE — The Golden State Valkyries selected Flau'jae Johnson with the No. 8 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft in Seattle, then traded her to the Seattle Storm less than an hour later. In return, the Valkyries acquired the draft rights to Marta Suarez and a 2028 second-round draft selection.

The trade was announced just before the No. 17 pick of the draft. When WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the deal, there were audible gasps in the room. The Storm had selected Suarez with the first pick of the second round, No. 16 overall.

Golden State General Manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the Valkyries and the Storm had agreed to trade picks before any athlete was selected. "I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau'jae or any specific athlete selection," she said. Nyanin declined to go into detail on her decision at a post-draft news conference and declined to comment on whether salary cap implications might have affected the trade.

Seattle Storm General Manager Talisa Rhea said her team had been looking for an opportunity to move up in the draft and acquire another impact player. "We're really excited how [Johnson] aligns and helps us this year, but also is going to be a really important piece for us as we're building for the future," Rhea said.

Johnson finished her college career at LSU tied for the second-most wins and sixth-most points in school history. During her senior season, she averaged 14.2 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Her final college season ended with LSU's elimination in the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.

Suarez, a 6-foot-3 post player, played college basketball at Tennessee, Cal and TCU. During her season at TCU, she averaged 17.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and shot 37% from the three-point line. "Marta is fierce," Nyanin said. "We have looked at her for a really long time. She has a very high basketball IQ. Her high character is off the charts. We felt like she would be a great fit."