Report: Flau'jae Johnson did not declare for 2025 WNBA Draft

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson did not declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft, The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant reported Thursday. That puts her in line to return to college basketball next season for her final year of eligibility.

Johnson had until Tuesday to declare for the draft following LSU’s Elite Eight loss to UCLA, according to The Athletic. The WNBA Draft deadline was March 31, but players still competing in the NCAA Tournament get more time to do so. They have to declare 48 hours after their final game, but no announcement came from Johnson as of Thursday.

Johnson just completed her junior season, but could have declared for the WNBA Draft because she turns 22 years old during the 2025 calendar year. By going back to college, she will continue to be one of the biggest names in the sport after leading LSU to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances following the 2023 national title.

By not declaring for this year’s WNBA Draft, Johnson’s rookie year would line up with a new WNBA collective bargaining agreement. Salaries are expected to increase as a result of a new CBA, which led to questions about other big names’ decisions. One of them – Notre Dame star Olivia Miles, who was projected as the No. 2 pick by ESPN’s Michael Voepel last week – decided to forgo the draft and enter the transfer portal.

Flau’jae Johnson set to thrive on, off court in 2025-26

As a junior in 2023-24, Flau’jae Johnson put together the best year of her career to date. She averaged a career-high 18.6 points while adding 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists to help LSU to the Elite Eight despite missing the SEC Tournament due to a leg injury.

Johnson is also one of the biggest names in women’s basketball. 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.