Angel Reese, Flau'jae Johnson starring in Tampax campaign thanks to NIL

A year ago, Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson were gearing up to star their first season at LSU.

Reese had just transferred to the Bayou after two seasons at Maryland. Meanwhile, Johnson was adjusting to college life as a freshman. Both had gained notoriety before arriving in Baton Rouge but far from the celebrity status they both now tout.

Now they’re preparing to defend their national championship. The LSU stars led the Tigers to the program’s first national title in April. Since then their social media followings have taken off, capitalizing off the win through NIL. Reese has used her platform to work with fashion brands, while Johnson has released multiple songs since April.

As two of the biggest names in college basketball, they’ve collaborated on deals with companies like Amazon and Raising Cane’s. Now the duo is starring in a new educational campaign for Tampax, which will focus on educating the public and creating conversation around tampons.

“I didn’t understand how to use tampons for a long time,” Johnson said in a statement. “I’m thankful my mom was there to walk me through how to use one for the first time before a big college game. It’s important to have open conversations about periods and tampons – it could really change your experience.”

Reese and Johnson will appear in advertisements next to actress and executive producer Marsai Martin and Dr. Nicole Sparks OB/GYN. Dubbed the “A Better Way to Period” campaign, the Proctor & Gamble brand will share data from its most recent survey.

According to data from Tampax, 68% of Gen Z women and girls say they received little or no period education before their period began.

“When we don’t talk about tampons, it perpetuates myths and fears about using them,” Reese said. “That’s why the work we’re doing with Tampax is important. We’re here to change the game.”

Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson leading NIL stars in basketball

Reese and Johnson may have already won a national title, but they’re in prime position to compete for another one. Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey added Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow from the portal this offseason. Earlier this week, Reese earned preseason All-American honors, appearing on 35 of 36 ballots.

LSU is only getting started, too. The Tigers were tabbed as No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 for the first time in school history. All the on-court preseason hype is only going to help ramp up their NIL activity.

Represented by Jeanine Ogbonnaya, Reese averaged a double-double last season. The “Bayou Barbie” inked a multi-year partnership with Reebok last week. As part of the agreement, she’ll have a curated portal of products on Reebok.com, which has been named “Angel’s Picks.” Reese became one of the first college athletes to ever appear in SI Swimsuit. And she helped make NIL a mainstream topic.

The 6-foot-3 forward earned a silver medal on the AmeriCup Team earlier this summer and was at the White House in May to celebrate LSU’s national championship. She also announced plans to leverage her NIL brand to give back with the formation of Angel C. Reese Foundation, which will focus on empowering women through sports, education and financial literacy.

Johnson actually was the first of the two to work with a sneaker giant, signing with on as a Puma athlete last fall. She also worked with the athlete empowerment brand Uninterrupted in July. Coming off the national title game, Johnson has inked partnerships with Doritos and Papa John’s. A rap star off the court with a record deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, she averaged 11 points and 5.9 rebounds in Year 1 with the Tigers. 

Entering March Madness, Angel Reese had a $371,000 On3 NIL Valuation. Her valuation now is $1.7 million, which is the top-ranked women’s basketball NIL valuation. Reese’s valuation ranks No. 7 in the On3 NIL 100, the first of its kind and defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes ranked by their On3 NIL Valuation. Her social media following has climbed to 5.2 million, too.

Johnson is right behind her with a $1.1 million On3 NIL Valuation, ranking No. 2 in women’s basketball and No. 20 in the On3 NIL 100. The guard also has a major following on social media, sitting at more than 3.1 million.