Valkyries, Storm GMs reveal shocking WNBA draft trade came together before picks were even known

A draft-night trade between the Golden State Valkyries and Seattle Storm that sent Flau’jae Johnson to Seattle was agreed upon before either team made its selection, according to both general managers.

Golden State selected Johnson with the No. 8 overall pick before trading her rights to Seattle less than an hour later. Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin said the deal had already been finalized prior to the draft.

“Seattle and I had an agreement to trade picks prior to any athlete selection,” Nyanin told ESPN after Monday night’s draft, as reported by ESPN’s Kendra Andrews and Alexa Philippou. “I want to be super clear about the draft: This had nothing to do with Flau’jae or any specific athlete selection.”

The Storm, who had been seeking to move up, capitalized when Johnson remained available. General manager Talisa Rhea said the opportunity aligned with the team’s plans.

“We didn’t think that (Johnson) would be available at that point,” Rhea said in a post-draft news conference. “We had been in conversations, and so, as we got closer to that pick, once it became a reality, just really excited.”

In exchange for Johnson, Golden State acquired the draft rights to Marta Suárez, who was selected by Seattle with the No. 16 overall pick, along with a 2028 second-round selection. The trade was announced just before the No. 17 pick, surprising those in the draft room.

Nyanin declined to provide detailed reasoning behind the decision immediately following the draft.

“I’m going to take a beat to be able to eloquently give a response. I don’t have a lot of details to share. One, because I’m exhausted. Two, because I want to be very thoughtful when I’m talking about other humans and their basketball abilities and how they would or would not show up for our squad,” she said.

She also declined to address whether salary cap considerations factored into the deal.

Nyanin also expressed strong support for Suárez, a 6-foot-3 forward who most recently played at TCU after stints at Tennessee and Cal.

“Marta is fierce. She’s fearless,” 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.”

Seattle, meanwhile, adds Johnson to a young core, viewing her as a key piece moving forward.

“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.

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