Flau’jae Johnson has always been committed to a dual career.  “A lot of people who are like, “I don’t know how she does both,” or think that I can’t do both,” she said. “I just want to show them that with hard work, anything is possible. So it’s just that mentality that I am proving people wrong.” Now, a moment signifying the union of her two careers emerged on the best possible night.

Flua’jae Johnson did not have the best start to her WNBA career. In each of the last 5 games, she shot below 35% from the field and failed to make a three-pointer in 7 attempts in the last three. However, going up against the Connecticut Sun, Johnson showed for Seattle. She had a career high of 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. 

She became the fastest guard to reach 10 blocks in the WNBA. Reading this record, Johnson wrote, “God is the greatest !! 🫶” Johnson is also leading the league in steals + blocks with 7 steals and 10 blocks so far. Her defense has clearly been elite and could be entering All-Defense conversations if she manages to keep this up.  

But the game had even more significance as it came after a tribute from her team. In the third quarter, Flau’jae was talking about the game but noticed something playing in the background. It was her latest single, “Woah,” playing in the background at the Climate Pledge Arena. A surprised Johnson paused mid-interview, taking the opportunity to promote her music, saying, “Oh they playing my song. Y’all go stream WOAH.”

The song came out about a month ago and already has 345,000 streams across platforms. The franchise also used the same song in its dance troupe routine during the halftime show. That song was instantaneously heard by 9,741 fans in the stadium and millions more on the broadcast. 

Johnson already has a solid resume as an artist, featuring two albums, “4 Fans” and “Best of Both Worlds,” and a mixtape named “Flaumix”.  This recent release also signaled that she would continue with her music career in the same vigor despite taking that step up to the WNBA.

The dual career elevates her brand as a WNBA athlete. She was among the highest NIL earners back in college and could continue that success as a WNBA player, especially when she is the “franchise” player in Seattle. 

Flau’jae Johnson Referred As “Franchise” Player After Career Night

The Golden State Valkyries essentially traded away Flau’jae Johnson on draft night. While they did not consider it at the time, it wound up being Johnson. And she ended up in Seattle. The Storm had a stellar draft night, picking Awa Fam at No. 2 as well. Now, they have a talented young core with Dominique Malonga, Fam and Johnson. But it seems its Johnson who is termed the ‘franchise player.’ 

“I think (Flau) brings a lot of energy for us. I’ve been watching her really dial in on knowing when to score, when to pass the ball. I just told somebody today in an interview that she’s our franchise player,” Zia Cooke told the media after the game. “So she got to step up every single night and kind of play like a vet. And it’s a lot of pressure, but I’m just super proud of her to see just her resilience and how she’s just been coming out every single night and doing what she needs to do.”

Malonga is yet to find her footing as a starter despite it being her second year in the league. She was largely a bench player last year and only made significant impact towards the end of the season. This year, she has played only 3 games so far. Awa Fam is yet to arrive and play for the Storm. 

Johnson, on the other hand, has got to work early. Her off-court success also factors into being the face of the franchise. She brings in some of the crowd and her flashy style of play is also attractive. In addition, she is older than the two international talent giving her more experience playing in the country. So, if Johnson continues to impress, she might be the player the team builds around.