The Seattle Storm are sitting at a tough 6-27 overall record, planted firmly at the bottom of the league standings, but rookie guard Flau’jae Johnson is still bringing that relentless energy every single night, even catching the eye of an MVP in the process. This isn’t the kind of season you want to see for our Emerald City squad, especially with the talent on the floor, but Johnson’s journey through this grind is something else.
The Brutal Reality of Pro Ball Hits Hard
For Johnson, the WNBA dream officially kicked off in April when she got picked eighth overall by the Golden State Valkyries and then traded to our Storm. But it wasn’t until June, facing the Las Vegas Aces, that the realness of the big leagues truly hit her. She told CBS Sports last month that just seeing players like A’ja Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, and our own Jewell Loyd in action, watching how they talk and communicate, how they anticipate each other’s moves, showed her what a “championship standard” really looks like.
This season has been a stark contrast to her college days. Less than a month before the draft, Johnson was fresh off a national championship at LSU, where she played 141 games and registered only 20 losses in four years. Now? She’s already lost more games as a professional than she did in her entire college career, combined. It’s a tough pill to swallow for any competitor, but Johnson’s mindset is all about growth. She believes every game is an opportunity to work on something, keeping that “0-0 mentality” and an optimistic outlook. For her, if you do everything right in the process, even without the desired result, it’s still a win.
Shining Through the Struggle, Earning MVP Praise
Despite the team’s record, Johnson is consistently landing in the top five of the CBS Sports WNBA rookie rankings this season. Her energy and positive attitude are seriously unmatched, and she just keeps getting better. She’s currently averaging 13.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest. We’ve seen her drop 25 points against the Liberty and 26 points against the Lynx in recent weeks, showing exactly what she’s capable of.
One of those pinch-me moments came on June 25, when she put up a career-high 28 points in a 99-88 win against the New York Liberty. That win? It snapped a brutal 11-game losing streak for the Storm. But maybe even more impactful was the praise she got from A’ja Wilson herself. Johnson recalled Wilson telling her at the free throw line, “You are doing your thing. Keep working. Keep doing your thing.” Johnson was absolutely floored, calling Wilson an “MVP” who “ain’t really real.” That kind of respect from an idol means everything.
The Storm have a lot of potential with this young core: Johnson, fellow rookie Awa Fam, and sophomore Dominique Malonga. It’s going to take patience, for sure, but with Johnson’s attitude and work ethic, Storm fans have something real to look forward to. Keep watching these young players grow, Seattle, because the foundation for future success is being laid right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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