SEATTLE — It’s not often that a player yet to play on the professional level is known around their sport by just their first name. But for Flau’jae? It’s absolutely appropriate.

The Seattle Storm traded for Flau’jae Johnson, the star guard from LSU, on Draft Night in a move that’s being hailed (at least for the Storm) across the basketball world.

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A move that also sends a message. To the rest of the WNBA and to Flau’jae.

I pointed out to Johnson that, when you’re traded, it means a team really wanted you.

“Facts, that’s what my agent told me as soon as I got traded,” she said. “‘They want you,'” Flau’jae said.

“This is what really got me, when I saw how excited they were on the press conference, I was like ‘Wow, like this is amazing,’ I know this is where I’m supposed to be, I can feel it. So I’m thankful for them giving me the opportunity. For me, just hearing my name called was a dream, but being in an organization that wants me, that’s excited to have me, that has a plan for me, that’s something totally different,” she added.

Indeed, the Storm Front Office, led by General Manager Talisa Rhea and Head Coach Sonia Raman, coveted Flau’jae for her talent on the court. The National Champion from LSU showed such a fantastic skillset that we’ve known for years she’d be a first-rounder.

But really, it’s so much more than the shooting and handling; it’s the leadership and personality that comes with it. You never know if this is going to happen, but you can absolutely see, even after just a couple of minutes, how Johnson could lead this proud franchise in the future. It’s a vision that led to the Draft Night trade.

And could lead to Storm fans being treated to another golden era.

“For me, it’s like, how can we get there?” Johnson said.

“What steps can I take one day to get where we want to be? And I take that very seriously, I think the history is very important,” she continued. “Even coming from LSU, there was history there and we made it big. I plan on doing the same thing here. I feel like everybody’s aligned, why can’t we do the same thing here?”

When Flau’jae sets her mind to something, it generally comes to fruition.

She’s motivated in part by pride for her family. Her father, Jason Johnson, was a rap artist called “Camoflauge,” who was murdered in 2003, just months before Flau’jae was born. So while she was a prolific basketball player, she was also inspired by music and has become an incredibly successful artist.

“It’s been a beautiful journey,” Flau’jae said.

“My whole goal was to allow his name to always be heard through mine. Then, on top of that, I created my own legacy, right? Playing basketball and doing music, people were like, ‘This is not possible.’ I was like, ‘But it is, because I’m gonna do it.’ And I’ve always had that mentality, I’ve always been self-motivated, I’ve always wanted to become something. For me, I have other factors that motivate me, like my family and everything,” she continued. “But for me, I wanted to do that for him and make him proud and be somebody.”

Do you see why the Storm and, really, the basketball world fell in love with Johnson’s game and attitude?

In a highly competitive league, it takes somebody who has that extra something to take the next step. Something to separate them from the rest.

Flau’jae Johnson has it. She’s bringing it to Seattle.

Now, she’s ready to ball out for Storm fans.

“The goal is to inspire before you expire, and you only get a little bit of time. You don’t know how much time you have on this Earth. So every day, the one thing you can do for a kid is impact their way of thinking. None of the money you give – that helps – but the impact, belief, the hope you give kids? That is what lasts, that is what keeps your name legendary,” Johnson said. “That’s just my only goal because if I do all these amazing things and if I can change a life that’s gonna change another life that’s something totally different… I know I’ve touched so many people where I come from in Georgia, Louisiana and now Seattle, let’s do it.”

And she will make the most of it, as she tells me this ‘beautiful opportunity’, starting in her rookie season with the Storm.