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WNBA to Fine Flau'jae Johnson $500 After Seattle Storm Loss
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- WNBA to Fine Flau'jae Johnson $500 After Seattle Storm Loss
The Seattle Storm entered Thursday's game against the Phoenix Mercury brimming with confidence after defeating the New York Liberty and Atlanta Dream in their previous two games. Unfortunately, they struggled mightily and ended up getting blown out on the road, 90-67.
No one from the Storm scored more than 15 points, with Awa Fam and Natasha Hiedeman leading the team with 13 points apiece. Rookie Flau'jae Johnson recorded 11 points , three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block, but she struggled shooting the ball and made just four of her 12 shot attempts.
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For the Mercury, Kahleah Copper exploded for 30 points, while Valeriane Ayayi added 18 points. Phoenix led by as many as 26 points before eventually settling for a 90-67 victory.
Seattle Storm guard Flau'jae Johnson (4) is pictured at BECU Storm Center.Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
As if losing and dropping to 5-16 on the season weren't enough, Johnson received more bad news during the game. The 22-year-old guard is now facing disciplinary action from the WNBA due to some trash talking against the Mercury, according to Cydney Henderson of USA Today.
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Johnson is set to pay a $500 fine for the technical foul. The WNBA rules state that the first three technical fouls committed by a player each carry a $500 fine. It is Johnson's second tech of the season, following her first on May 10 against the Connecticut Sun .
The Seattle rising star will certainly need to be more careful, though. A player's fourth through seventh technical fouls each carry a $1,000 fine. Players also receive a warning letter from the WNBA after the fifth tech.
When a player's technical foul count reaches eight, they will be suspended for one game and fined $1,500.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2026, where it first appeared in the WNBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
