Just one game after a career-high 37-point performance from Dominque Malonga, the Seattle Storm got a career game from Flau’jae Johnson. The rookie scored 28 points on 11-23 shooting from the field and 4-10 from long range. She also recorded 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block.
This time, the Storm also got the win, beating the New York Liberty 99-88. New York was without Satou Sabally and Breanna Stewart, but beating a team led by Jonquel Jones, Sabrina Ionescu, Leonie Fiebich, and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is still a massive accomplishment for a team as young and inexperienced as the Storm.
Johnson’s scoring outburst against a veteran contender should scare the rest of the WNBA. Dominique Malonga and Awa Fam already look like future MVP candidates. People in and around the WNBA are very much aware of that. Both have been projected to emerge as the best players in their draft classes eventually, despite being drafted just after Paige Bueckers and Olivia Miles. They will be even more dangerous if Johnson can be an efficient two-way presence next to them, like she was against the Liberty. The Liberty couldn’t stop them now. Just imagine how much more difficult it will be when the core is older and more experienced.
Johnson has struggled with shooting efficiency
19 games into her rookie season, Johnson is shooting just 35.5% from the field and 28.2% from three. Her breakout against the Liberty was just the fifth time this season that she shot 40% or more from the field and the fourth efficient outing from long range.
Rookies often struggle with shooting efficiency when they first get to the W. Angel Reese shot just 39.1% from the field as a rookie, and Caitlin Clark shot just 34.4% from three, marking a significant drop from her college averages. As she gains more experience and gets more comfortable with the speed and physicality in the W, Johnson’s efficiency will only continue to improve.
Seattle is building something special
This latest win was only the Storm’s fourth victory of the season. They are firmly established as one of the worst teams in the W, but that’s okay. Unlike the Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury, Seattle is right where it should be.
A team built around two rookies and a second-year player—two of whom are just 20 years old—is bound to experience some hiccups, mistakes, and struggles. But Fam, Malonga, and Johnson need to work through these things to learn and improve. In just a few years, they will be a scary trio to face—especially with the help of another lottery pick in a stacked 2027 WNBA Draft.
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