Kim Mulkey challenges Flau'jae Johnson to embrace leadership role in senior season

Kim Mulkey is counting on Flau’jae Johnson to take a step forward as a leader for LSU this season. Johnson is entering her senior year with the Tigers, having been a starter and key player for them each of the past three years.

During that time, however, she often deferred to the veteran players to lead the team. Johnson was just a freshman when she won a national championship with LSU in 2022-23 and had others such as Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow in the years that followed.

This season will be her first playing without either Reese or Morrow, and it’s clear it’s her team. Mulkey wants to see her lead them as far as they can go.

“Flau’jae, she leads by what she does with her music, but I think she’s always been reluctant to be a leader of teammates because she wants them to like her,” Mulkey said at SEC Basketball Media Days. “She never felt comfortable doing it because she always had the great older player in that locker room. Now, you are that older player. You’re the senior. You’ve been here, you know the ropes. So go lead your basketball team.”

Last season, Johnson put up a career-high 18.6 points per game on 46.8% shooting to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game. The loss of Morrow could result in her taking on an even bigger role as the clear No. 1 option for the offense.

Off the court, Johnson has been a leader in the NIL space, where she commands a valuation of $1.5 million. That ranks her No. 1 among women’s college basketball players and No. 53 in On3’s NIL Top 100.

Flau’jae Johnson has also found success as a rapper and is signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. She’s been one of the key players in helping grow awareness for women’s basketball over the past few years and her image and brand is one of the most recognized in the sport.

Now she has the opportunity to take it to another level as she has the clear instructions from her coach to take the lead of this team. LSU has made the Elite Eight the past two seasons since winning the nationa; championship in Johnson’s freshman season.

Getting back there is of course the goal this year and a lot of the responsibility will fall on the senior guard. The Tigers tip off the season on Nov. 4 against Houston Christian.