Flau'jae Johnson announces decision to return to LSU in 2025-26

After forging the 2025 WNBA Draft, Flau’jae Johnson is ready to run it back. She is returning to LSU for her final year of eligibility, per FOS.

Because Johnson turns 22 during the 2025 calendar year, she was able to declare for the draft even though she just completed her junior season. According to league rules, players have 48 hours following their final game in the tournament. Johnson did not declare after LSU’s Elite Eight loss, which means she will return to college basketball for her senior season.

However, a source later told On3 a return to LSU was not a certainty and exploring opportunities in the portal was also an option. Ultimately, she chose to head back to Baton Rouge and will look to put an exclamation point on a decorated career.

Johnson’s time at LSU began with a national championship as a freshman. She then helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, including one this past season as she put up the best numbers of her career. Johnson averaged a career-high 18.6 points while adding 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists to help LSU to the Regional Final despite missing the SEC Tournament due to a leg injury.

After the Elite Eight, Johnson faced a decision regarding the WNBA Draft. The deadline to officially declare for the draft was March 31, but because LSU was still competing in the NCAA Tournament, Johnson had extra time to make her decision and ultimately chose to run it back for one more year in college – which will now continue with the Tigers.

Flau’jae Johnson also thriving in NIL space

Flau’jae Johnson is also one of the biggest names in women’s basketball and is a pioneer in the NIL space. She has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.5 million, which ranks No. 1 in the college women’s basketball NIL rankings and No. 2 in the On3 Women’s NIL 100. That figure also sits at No. 59 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and de facto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation.

In addition to her talents on the basketball court, Johnson is also an accomplished rap artist. She signed an NIL deal with Roc Nation and released her first album last year, which included a collaboration with Lil Wayne. Johnson also has notable NIL deals with JBL Audio and Mondelēz.

In addition, Johnson became an equity partner with the new Unrivaled basketball league founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. It was part of an NIL deal with the league, and Johnson provided content throughout the season.