At a university where nearly every athletic program is nationally relevant, there’s never a shortage of options. There are always electric playmakers to be found.
The Reveille Athlete of the Week is LSU women’s basketball Flau’jae Johnson.
Last week, both Johnson reached 1,000 points in her collegiate career and released the deluxe edition of her summer album.
LSU is currently 4-0 after surviving an upset scare against Murray State, much thanks to a strong fourth quarter by Johnson.
After trailing by nine at half, LSU brought the game within one in the third. Johnson ensured the victory with a strong performance in the final quarter.
She produced 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal in those last 10 minutes. That’s on top of strong team defense that held Murray State to six in the quarter.
Her performance on Friday made her the third LSU player in 25 seasons to have multiple games with at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists, joining Angel Reese and Khayla Pointer.
This season she has 92 points, 29 rebounds, 12 assists and nine turnovers forced. She is shooting 61% from the field and 40% from three.
Her ability to generate offense with fast drives, a diverse package at the rim and good court vision are vital to the team’s success. She affects the players around her, continually growing her chemistry with top scorers like Mikaylah Williams and Aneesah Morrow.
“Flau’jae is playing effortlessly,” head coach Kim Mulkey said after the season opener. “And why is that? She’s in the greatest shape she’s ever been in her life. It’s coming very easy for her.”
After losing Reese to the WNBA, Johnson has become the face of the team and a leader both in the locker room and on the court.
“I just try to take the best shots, and if I don’t have good shots, I just try to pass it,” Johnson said. “I really like when I have five or six [assists]. I feel like that’s just super cool.”
Johnson balances her play on the court with a career in the studio. Her top song “Came Out a Beast” has 1.6 million streams on Spotify. She has featured Lil Wayne, NLE Choppa and 2Rare on her latest album.
On Friday, she released “Best of Both Worlds Deluxe.” The album features four new songs.
A big week in many ways for Johnson ended with a hard-fought win, secured by her own hand. With depth and talent at all positions, Johnson hopes to lead LSU back to a championship in the spring.