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Flau'jae Johnson's Golden State Valkyries rookie contract details revealed following WNBA Draft selection

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh04/13/26griffin_mcveigh

A newly agreed-upon collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the WNBA and WNBAPA means rookies are now getting paid a whole lot more. This year will be the first instance of such, with the 2026 WNBA Draft taking place on Monday night. Flau’jae Johnson was taken with the No. 8 overall pick by the Golden State Valkyries and is now getting a nice payday.

Johnson will make $309,622 during her rookie season out West, per Front Office Sports. By the time year No. 4 begins, Johnson will have $400,255 headin her way. In total, the contract reads as a four-year deal worth just under $1.4 million.

***UPDATE*** – Shortly after hearing her name called, Johnson was on the move. Golden State traded away her draft rights to the Seattle Storm. A massive trade on draft night in the WNBA.

Of all of the players to come out of Baton Rouge, Johnson is right up there with the greats. The LSU product put together a great four-year college career. It included a national championship and multiple individual honors. None bigger than being a two-time third-team All-American. She was consistently a top player across women’s basketball.

Johnson averaged 14.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this past season. This helped the Tigers make a run in the NCAA Tournament before losing in the Elite Eight.

“When I got to LSU, I was chasing dreams, trying to find my way, and figuring out who I was going to be not just as a player, but as a person,” Johnson wrote in a post to her Instagram. “And somewhere along the way… LSU and Baton Rouge became home.

“Wearing ‘LSU’ across my chest has been one of the greatest honors of my life and I’m going to keep representing Baton Rouge the right way. I’m loyal to the soil. Thank you for believing in me. I got y’all feaux-ever.”

Flau’jae Johnson leaves LSU as NIL era success story

Off the court, Johnson is one of the most impressive success stories of the NIL era. She boasts a $1.5 million NIL value, the highest among all women’s college basketball players in the 2025-26 season.

During her collegiate career, Johnson worked with national companies such as Powerade, Apple Cash and JBL. Further, Johnson is a rapper signed with Roc Nation, the record label founded by Jay-Z. She performed at the 2024 ESPY Awards.

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report