Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Flau’jae Johnson scored a career-high 29 points, shooting 10-of-21, 5-of-8 from three, plus 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 steals.
- A’ja Wilson remains dominant: four-time MVP, scored 30 points, now has 49 career 30-point games, second only to Diana Taurasi.
- Flau’jae Johnson expressed confidence about teaming with Dominique Malonga; the duo combined for 54 points, both scoring over 20 for the first time.
“I saw who I blocked, and I was like, ‘I’m so sorry. I would never disrespect the GOAT like that. I love A’ja Wilson… I would never disrespect her, but I was in the moment, and I was like, ‘Oh my God. I blocked A’ja Wilson,” Johnson said in her postgame press conference on Sunday.
That apology is commensurate with the reputation Wilson holds within the league. The four-time MVP scored 30 points off of 16 of 18 free throws on Sunday, giving her 49 30-point games for her career, second only to Diana Taurasi’s 54 in WNBA history.
But Johnson didn’t just say that she was sorry, explaining further what the block meant to her.
“I’m putting that on the wall or something like that. I’m framing that. That was like a moment in my career that I’ll never forget,” she added.
Johnson’s overall performance proved just how important this block was for her team. Johnson had scored 10 of 21 shots attempted in the field and 5 of 8 in three-point shots, besides having 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals in Seattle’s 98-77 defeat.
The block wasn’t the sole indication of what Johnson thinks lies ahead for Seattle’s young core.
Flau’jae Johnson Shares Bold Outlook On Storm Future
Johnson’s comments following the game extended beyond just the Wilson situation, giving insight into how she sees herself working with her Storm teammate Dominique Malonga in the future.
“I think we’re going to evolve into something great,” said Johnson when asked about playing alongside Dominique Malonga against such players as Wilson and Young.
With Johnson using Wilson as an example of how dominant the young Seattle core can become, she considers her play almost unreal to watch.
“I’m no Jackie Young right now, but in a few years I feel like I could be one of the best players in the league alongside Dom,” Johnson said, extending her outlook beyond Sunday’s result.
: That confidence reflects what happened on the scoreboard on Sunday: Johnson and Malonga totaled 54 points, with both scoring over 20 in the same game for the first time.
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