Flau’jae Johnson is flying the flag for the LSU Tigers in the absence of Angel Reese.
Johnson and Reese won a national title together in 2023, beating Caitlin Clark‘s Iowa Hawkeyes in a chippy yet highly compelling national championship game.
A year later, Reese was selected No. 7 overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft, leaving former running mate Johnson to hold down the fort in Louisiana.
The friendship between Johnson and Reese began to cool when Angel made the jump to the pros, with Flau’jae admitting “we aren’t as close as we used to be.”
Nevertheless, the 21-year-old guard has continued to improve her game without Reese. She’s currently averaging 24 points per game through six games in the NCAA season.
Johnson — who is WNBA Draft eligible after this season — is quite the star in her own right.
She’s one of the highest-earning college basketball players from name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, having signed lucrative endorsement deals with the likes of Puma, Meta, JBL, and Taco Bell.
According to On3, Johnson has an NIL worth of $1.5 million, placing her 27th on their list of the most valuable student-athletes in the country.
The 5ft 10in baller is the second-highest woman on the list, trailing only gymnastics and social media sensation, Olivia Dunne.
The Tigers star, featured on Amazon Prime’s ‘The Money Game: LSU’ alongside the likes of Reese, Dunne and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, also happens to be a rapper signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
Johnson is the daughter of the rapper Camoflauge, real name Jason Johnson, a Georgia native known for his songs ‘Cut Friends’ and ‘Laying My Stunt Down’, as well as his final album, ‘Keepin It Real’.
Jason was tragically shot and killed in 2003 — six months before Flau’jae was born — in a case that’s still unsolved.
Flau’jae has continued her father’s rap legacy while chasing her hoops dream. She is set to release a new album in 2025 following the release of her debut studio EP Best of Both Worlds earlier this year.
Johnson teased her upcoming ‘RnB 4’ collection in the latest episode of the ‘Best of Both Worlds with Flau’jae’ podcast.
She said the eight-track project, set to release in February, stems from her personal experiences around love and heartbreak and will showcase a more refined approach to production than her previous release.
“It’s getting cold and I know y’all boo’d up, RnB 4 activated,” Flau’jae said. “I think it’s gonna be eight songs on the project. It’s gonna be beautiful, it’s gonna be well put together, it’s like a new me.
“I’m pivoting, I’m getting older and I got more to talk about going through heartbreak and relationships. So y’all gonna love it bro.”
The album is scheduled to drop two months before the 2025 WNBA Draft takes place.
Johnson has not yet declared for the draft, and is still weighing up returning to LSU for her senior season.
She recently addressed the speculation on her podcast after fans were desperate to know if the 2024-25 season will be he last with the Tigers before going pro.
“Actually I have a secret, and I guess the best time to put it out would be now, on my podcast,” Johnson said.
“After heavy consideration, and just talking with my team, my family, and everybody just involved in my athletic career, I want to let y’all know that I will be… I’m just playing.”
Johnson then busted out laughing before saying, “Everybody keep asking me, just give it time, bro. Give it time… I’m just having fun right now, playing some of my best basketball. But I keep seeing in Twitter, everybody keeps asking… it’s up in the air right now.
“If you don’t know, I am eligible for the [WNBA] Draft, this year. So I’m kind of just letting God guide me,” she added. “Whenever I feel that push or [feel that] it’s time, then it’s time… But nah, I really don’t know. I’m just hooping right now.”
The Dallas Wings will have the No. 1 overall pick in April’s draft, which they are widely expected to use on generational UConn star Paige Bueckers.
The Los Angeles Sparks, Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics, and Golden State Valkyries round out the top five picks.
The likes of Kiki Irafen (USC), Olivia Miles (Notre Dame), Sonia Citron (Notre Dame), and Dominique Malonga (France) are all projected to be top selections.
