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Golden State Valkyries' draft night debacle was clear from the start

Let's break it down.
ByStephanie Kaloi|
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Mar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) reacts to a called foul during the first quarter of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs guard Olivia Miles (5) reacts to a called foul during the first quarter of the game against the South Carolina Gamecocks in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

WNBA fans — and probably a few players and their famillies — were thrown into a state of confusion Monday night when the Golden State Valkyries drafted LSU graduate Flau'jae Johnson as the No. 8 overall pick and then promptly traded her to the Seattle Storm. The Valkyries picked up TCU graduate (and Miles' former collegiate teammate) Marta Suarez, who was drafted as the No. 16 pick, as well as a second-round pick from 2028.

Things didn't get better after Valkyries GM Ohemaa Nyanin offered an explanation for the confusion that was, well, confusing. Immediately after the draft, Nyanin said she didn't want to get into specifics; she also didn't want to imply that there was anything about Johnson that the team didn't like, or that Johnson had done that prompted the trade.

While there's no way to know for sure, it's possible the trade actually had a lot more to do with one player: Olivia Miles.

The 2026 WNBA Draft was a depature from recent years

Unlike the 2023, 2024, and 2025 WNBA Drafts, which had clear frontrunners each time (Aliyah Boston in 2023, Caitiln Clark in 2024, and Paige Bueckers in 2025), this year's draft's No. 1 overall pick was a heavily and frequently debated topic. UConn's Azzi Fudd was a consistent frontrunner throughout the collegiate season, but her name still rotated in and out of the top spot.

Miles was also often described as a top-four or top-three pick, and her performance during March Madness this season inspired quite a few mock draft authors to rocket her up to the first overall spot. Miles ultimately was drafted as the No. 2 overall pick by the Minnesota Lynx.

It appears that it's possible Miles being drafted at the second spot actually influenced what happened between the Storm and the Valkyries more than fans think. Miles was heavily favored to be drafted by the Storm at the No. 3 overall spot, so not having her available likely presented the team with an immediate problem they needed to solve. It's been reported that a trade between the Valkyries and the Storm was being discussed ahead of the draft, but something like that couldn't be finalized until the full details were available.

Johnson's availability at the No. 8 spot was also a bit of a surprise. UCLA's Gabriela Jaquez, who was part of the championship winning team this season, was drafted at the No. 5 overall spot.

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