An unfamiliar position brought, perhaps, unfamiliar emotions for Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow before Saturday night’s first round matchup.
Johnson had not stepped on the floor in almost a month before getting the start against San Diego State. For Morrow, Saturday night made her first game back since reinjuring her foot against Texas in the SEC Tournament.
The week leading up to LSU’s first round tournament matchup, Johnson and Morrow practiced all week, making sure they were both healthy and in game condition for the team’s tournament run.
Throughout the week, there was much confidence in the air. While confidence didn’t leave on Saturday, nerves made their way into the picture.
“It felt great being back on the court. I was so nervous the beginning of the game, I just had to do me,” Johnson said.
For Johnson, it was a considerable amount of time since she stepped on the court in the condition she did Saturday night. She hadn’t played since Feb. 27, when LSU traveled to Tuscaloosa and lost in overtime to Alabama.
While Johnson could have perhaps played in the SEC Tournament, Mulkey chose to rest her, making sure she would be at full speed and health for the NCAA Tournament.
Morrow saw action the last time her team did, but her minutes were cut short against Texas in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
Still, the thought of an injury lingered in her head, only exemplifying the effect injuries have on athletes, major or minor.
“Lots of ‘what ifs,’ but you have to flush that out,” Morrow said. “You want to overthink things. Just play.”
Johnson and Morrow both needed two things to make their nerves go away: time and to see the ball go in the basket.
Fortunately for Johnson, she didn’t need lots of time. She saw the ball go in the hoop rather quickly.
She scored the game’s first points with a baseline three, which sat on the rim and rolled into the basket. Shortly after, she came away with a steal and converted it into a layup.
That was when Johnson realized she was back, and LSU fans knew, too. After scoring the basket off the steal, Johnson blew a kiss to the student section, a move that has become her signature gesture recently.
“I always blow a kiss to the student section because they always show out for us,” Johnson said.
Morrow’s nerves went away when she made her first basket and drew her first foul. As her nerves went away, the high standard she always holds herself to replaced them.
“I felt like I underperformed, honestly,” Morrow said. “I felt like I could’ve done better focusing around the basket and finishing, could’ve got more boards and could’ve got in the passing lane more as well.”
It’s not often that 12 points and 12 rebounds is a bad game for a player. However, for Morrow, who averages 18.3 points per game and 13.6 rebounds per game, that and then some is her standard.
Her double-double marked her 28th of the season, which leads the country by six double-doubles. She became the second player in women’s college basketball history to record 100 double-double performances after her 28 point, 12 rebound performance against Ole Miss.
Both Johnson and Morrow have had not only seasons, but collegiate careers peppered with accolades.
Most recently, the two along with Mikaylah Williams were named 2025 AP All-Americans and USBWA All-Americans. Morrow was named to the second team, Johnson to the third team and Williams was an honorable mention selection.
For Johnson and Morrow, none of that can happen if they’re not on the court. Not being on the floor was the last thing they’d want, especially in March.
So while nerves and uncertainty were in the picture leading up to Saturday night’s matchup, they were proved weaker than the confidence they both have in their games, their skill sets, and each other.
“When the lights come on, that’s when stars shine the brightest,” Johnson said.
