Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson signed a multiyear contract with Unrivaled, the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league, on June 22.
Johnson, the No. 8 pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, will debut in Unrivaled’s third season starting January 2027. Since Unrivaled’s season overlaps with the WNBA offseason, many players join after their rookie year. Her club assignment will be announced later.
This agreement establishes a full-circle business relationship. In 2024, Johnson was one of the first two collegiate athletes to sign a name, image, and likeness (NIL) marketing deal with Unrivaled, alongside Paige Bueckers. She expanded this partnership in 2025 through the “Future is Unrivaled” cohort, an initiative that integrates top collegiate prospects into the league’s ecosystem with equity stakes and merchandising opportunities.
“From signing one of the first NIL deals with Unrivaled to now joining the league as a player, it’s been incredible to see this journey come full circle,” Johnson said in a statement. “The level of competition, the attention the league generated, and the way it helped shine a spotlight on the game’s biggest stars showed what’s possible when athletes are given a platform built for them.”
Johnson’s signing highlights how Black women use cultural and athletic influence to pursue long-term financial equity. Historically, professional women’s basketball players had limited domestic earning potential and often played overseas in the offseason. Unrivaled addresses this by providing regular-season salaries on a winter schedule and league equity for its players. Unlike
the WNBA, which operates in summer with a salary structure set by collective bargaining, Unrivaled’s season runs from January to March to fill the offseason gap. The league offers guaranteed salaries that are competitive with overseas pay and equity stakes, enabling athletes to share in long-term revenue growth and to participate in executive decision-making. This model creates meaningful economic opportunities and ownership potential for the athletes.As a prominent African American figure in sports and entertainment, Johnson fits the modern athlete-entrepreneur profile. In addition to winning a 2023 national championship with LSU and averaging 11.4 points as a rookie starter for Seattle, she is a signed recording artist with Roc Nation. Her “Flaumix” freestyle series has over 20 million views, and she has twice appeared on Billboard’s Sports & Music Power Players list.
By maintaining a year-round domestic presence through the WNBA and Unrivaled, Johnson offers corporate sponsors consistent brand exposure. This approach may help Black women in sports maximize their market value in the U.S. while keeping ownership of their intellectual property.
Johnson is the second member of the 2026 WNBA rookie class to join Unrivaled for the upcoming season, following Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles, who signed in April. An Unrivaled spokesperson told ESPN that over 90% of athletes from the league’s second season have confirmed they will return.
Roster construction for the upcoming season remains in progress. The league recently added two new franchises, the Breeze and the Hive,
and uses an internal draft and position-based player pods to distribute talent. In the internal draft, teams select players from a pool to fill available roster spots, allowing new and existing franchises to build balanced squads. Player pods group athletes by position, such as guards, forwards, and centers, and help ensure that each team has a well-rounded lineup and competitive depth.RELATED CONTENT: Juju Watkins Part of Unrivaled’s Star-Studded $35 Million Series A Investment Round