Conference play could completely swing WNBA Draft lottery for one simple reason

After three full seasons at LSU, WNBA teams have a pretty good idea of what Flau’jae Johnson brings to the table. They have seen her contribute to a championship team as a freshman. They have seen her thrive next to other stars like Angel Reese, Aneesah Morrow, and Hailey Van Lith. They have not seen her play against high-end competition and as one of her team’s veteran leaders without any of those co-stars, though. Johnson is the longest-tenured player on LSU’s roster and the team’s biggest star next to MiLaysia Fulwiley, who comes off the bench. 

LSU generally doesn’t play the toughest opponents in the early parts of the season. So far, the team hasn’t faced a single ranked opponent yet, as Duke fell out of the top 25 relatively quickly. Facing less challenging opponents is a good way to make sure everyone gets a lot of playing time and that players go into conference play with confidence and chemistry. 

At the same time, however, it hasn’t done much to boost Johnson’s draft stock yet. WNBA teams know what she can do, but they likely want to see her prove it one last time against tough competition. So, her performances against better competition could heavily impact how WNBA teams view her potential and thus the draft lottery. LSU is scheduled to face Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Ole Miss, and Tennessee in the next two months.

The 2026 WNBA Draft is still full of uncertainty 

There is still a lot of uncertainty around the next WNBA draft and not just because of the ongoing CBA negotiations. With the year almost over, there is still no clear number-one pick, and several players have strong cases to be picked in the lottery in any order. 

As of now, it seems that the top pick will come down to Awa Fam or Azzi Fudd. Lauren Betts, Olivia Miles, Ta’Niya Latson, and Flau’jae Johnson are also all lottery-level talents and could fit well onto several different WNBA rosters. 

Most mock drafts predict Johnson to go fifth overall to the Sky. Chicago is in desperate need of offensive creation, perimeter defense, and 3-point shooting. Johnson offers all of those things. Plus, she won a championship with Reese and Van Lith. 

However, if Dallas and Minnesota pick Fudd and Miles with the top two picks and Johnson shines against ranked competition, Seattle might be inclined to pick her as high as third overall. After trading Brittney Sykes to the Storm, Washington could also use a guard who can create her own shot. Using the fourth overall pick to draft Johnson or Latson (if we expect Fudd and Miles to be off the board by then) would fill that void.