Flau'jae Johnson wanted that last shot. She got it wide open, let it fly, and watched it bounce off the front of the rim as time expired.
The Storm rookie scored 26 points and hit five 3-pointers Monday, July 20, at Climate Pledge Arena, dragging a 6-22 team within three points of the WNBA's best squad.
Seattle lost to Minnesota 105-102, but the fans waving pink towels on Hello Kitty Night saw something worth coming back for.
"Just irritated," Johnson said postgame. "Coach drew up a great play. We executed very well. I gotta hit that shot. I shoot too much, you know. But I'm gonna get another shot like that, and I'll make it."
Johnson, the eighth overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, was acquired when General Manager Talisa Rhea traded the rights to Marta Suarez and a 2028 second-round pick to Golden State for the LSU standout.
The sequence that defined her night came late in the second quarter.
She drew a flagrant-1 foul from Lynx rookie Olivia Miles, sank all three free throws, then immediately buried a 3-pointer. That six-point swing gave Seattle a 54-53 halftime lead over a Minnesota team riding a six-game winning streak.
Neither team led by more than six in the second half. Zia Cooke poured in 18 off the bench, and Natisha Hiedeman, a former Lynx player, finished with 12 points and 10 assists. Center Awa Fam grabbed 10 rebounds.
Minnesota's backcourt proved too much in the final minutes. Kayla McBride scored 33 points on six 3-pointers, Miles added 32, and Courtney Williams had 21.
After Minnesota's Natasha Howard poked away Seattle's inbound pass in the closing seconds, McBride and Williams combined for four free throws to seal it.
The loss dropped the Storm to 1-11 in clutch games, defined as contests within five points in the final five minutes.
Cooke, speaking postgame, pointed to execution in those closing stretches as the gap between good and great.
The Storm host the Lynx again Wednesday, July 22, at noon at Climate Pledge Arena, the final game before the WNBA All-Star break.
Seattle Sports and Recreation Week Ahead
Tuesday, July 21 | 6:40 p.m. | SoDo | T-Mobile Park (1250 1st Ave S) — Mariners vs. Cincinnati Reds, Game 2. Seattle (51-50) leads the AL West by a half-game after Cal Raleigh's grand slam in Monday's 8-0 win.
Wednesday, July 22 | Noon | Lower Queen Anne | Climate Pledge Arena (334 1st Ave N) — Storm vs. Lynx rematch. Last game before the WNBA All-Star break.
Wednesday, July 22 | SoDo | T-Mobile Park — Mariners vs. Reds, Game 3. Start time not yet confirmed.
Thursday, July 23 | 6 p.m. | Wallingford | Miller Community Center — Seattle Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners public hearing on the proposed athletic field for Lincoln High School at Lower Woodland Park. Online attendance available; registration required by 4 p.m. Thursday.
Saturday, August 1 – Sunday, August 2 | 9 a.m.–6 p.m. | Downtown | Seattle Waterfront, Pier 58 and Pier 62 — Brandon Roy's free 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament for ages 9-18, hosted by Rise Above Inc. Registration closed July 18.
Includes a Special Olympics Showcase from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Pier 58, hosted by Alex Schrempf in partnership with Special Olympics Washington.
