Flau'jae Johnson credited as 'players' coach' in SEC Tournament win amid injury, adversity

Friday night, LSU put together a dominant performance to take down Florida in the SEC Tournament. The Tigers did so without guard Flau’jae Johnson due to injury – but she still made an impact.

Johnson was on the bench, wearing a boot on her right foot. She’s out for the weekend due to shin inflammation in a move Kim Mulkey said would help keep her ready for the NCAA Tournament.

Still, even though she wasn’t on the court, Johnson was coaching up her teammates. It’s not much different from when she’s on the court, though, according to Mikaylah Williams. She called Johnson a “players’ coach” when talking about her demeanor on the bench.

“I think her just being a players’ coach,” Williams said on the SEC Network postgame show. “Our players listen to her. She’s showing what she sees on the court, like what we wouldn’t see on the court when we’re playing.

“And being positive, knowing that it’s hard being a ballplayer and wanting to play. Sitting down is hard. I was here last year at this time and it as hard. Just keeping everybody up spirits and keeping everybody great. She’s been a great leader so far.”

Johnson serving as effectively an extension of the coaching staff helped in multiple ways. Bob Starkey stepped in as acting head coach Friday night even though Mulkey was on the bench, as well. Mulkey was away from the team throughout the week due to an unexpected death in the family, ESPN’s Carolyn Peck confirmed during the broadcast.

But also, Flau’jae Johnson was able to help her teammates continue fighting against Florida as part of a 101-point outburst. It marked LSU’s fourth 100-point game of the year, and this one sent the Tigers to the SEC tournament semifinals on Saturday. They hit that mark even without Johnson’s team-leading 18.9 points and her 2.4 assists per game.

Friday’s game marked a strong bounce back for LSU, which dropped its last two games to end the regular season. Aneesah Morrow led the charge with a monster performance, pouring in 36 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. Williams was also impressive, dropping 16 points and leading the team with eight assists.

The Tigers will now get ready for a high-profile showdown in the SEC Tournament semifinals against Texas. It’s a rematch of a Feb. 16 showdown between the two teams, which saw the Longhorns get the 65-56 victory in Austin.