Sibling ties: Flau'jae Johnson's favorite teammate isn't on the Storm
From draft night to All-Star Weekend, Aydin has become part of his sister's WNBA journey.
This week’s story was supposed to be an exclusive Q&A with Seattle Storm guard Flau’jae Johnson.
Ahead of Friday night’s matchup against the Atlanta Dream, I asked her about her growth in the WNBA, her closest teammate, new music and more. Unfortunately, most of the interview audio was lost, leaving only a handful of usable answers.
The responses that did pick up are published on The Athlete’s Section’s socials.
So, I wondered, out of the content, what can I present to you? Listening to the (legible) audio back, one answer stood out. An answer that was a story worth telling.
I asked Johnson what the best part of her WNBA experience has been thus far, and this is what she said.
“Spending my WNBA All-Star with my little brother. He was just having the time of his life. It was the funnest day ever. I love being able to experience work with family.”
The other part that was cut out was Johnson explaining that her little brother, Aydin, also plays football. Whenever she returns to Atlanta, she tries to come to his games when she can. She’s planning on helping him start up his own YouTube channel, ‘All about Aydin,’ soon, for fans to witness more of his personality.
You’ve probably already witnessed it.
The All-Star through Aydin’s eyes
If you’ve been on social media, you’ve probably seen the energetic youngster in various viral clips, going up to a variety of players on the court and doing different challenges or having normal conversations with them.
No one can help but light up when he’s around, especially Johnson, who posted her All-Star weekend dump on Instagram. The very first image was of her and Aydin wearing matching Seattle Storm adjacent outfits.
The caption says: Allstar 26’ owes me nothing! My lil brother Aydin made this weekend even more special. A time was hadddd. Same time next year?
This was Johnson’s first All-Star trip as a professional. Though she wasn’t on the roster for the official game, she participated in the Shooting Stars contest, which Aydin helped her warm up for beforehand. She was also seen exploring the various brand activations and activities Chicago had to offer for the annual celebration.
Johnson did all of this while embracing her role as a big sister. Instead of only making the most of her experience, she wanted Aydin to experience it as well, alongside her.
He even had a chance to clock in to work alongside Johnson at the Unrivaled Coffee Club pop-up hours before the All-Star Friday night competitions. You could find him behind the counter, helping serve coffee and wearing matching ‘Unrivaled Coffee Club’ aprons with his sister.
He would allow her to hoist him up near the counter to stamp customers’ passports as they stopped by to chat with their favorite players, with an addition of caffeine to kick-start the day.
Putting the WNBA 30th anniversary chain around Aydin’s neck was the icing on top to cap off both siblings’ weekend in style.
A semi-welcome to the W moment
All-Star weekend wasn’t the only time Aydin was introduced to the WNBA world. In fact, his first introduction was also Johnson’s as she brought him on stage with her during her draft night earlier this year.
The camera panned over to Aydin in the crowd as he waved and saluted Johnson’s way. He was then beckoned over by both ESPN reporter Holly Rowe and Johnson to join them on the stage.
He didn’t have to be told twice.
Johnson said later in a Good Morning America interview that the moment meant everything to her for her family to be there. The cast presented her with a video message from Aydin telling her how proud he was of her and how she made him better.
After watching the video, a beaming Johnson explained how he also left her a note in her hotel saying he loved her.
Johnson has described Aydin on multiple occasions as her baby, but also as the next superstar.
“I see so much of myself in him (Aydin),” Johnson said on the Heir Time podcast earlier this year. “…He has a personality out of this world, like he done been here before. So, I’m just trying to keep him real confident but not cocky.”
Johnson later said that her why is being an inspiration for her brothers, and pushes her to operate at a greater level in how she carries herself.
Whether they’re play-fighting, filming TikToks, or sharing milestone moments, the smile that brightens Johnson’s face when her No. 1 fan is around never fails to appear. The 16 years that separate them aren’t enough to distance the special bond they share.
Now, one could wonder what Aydin will be up to next. I guess we’ll have to wait until Johnson sets up his YouTube channel to keep up with their future endeavors.
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