LSU's Flau'jae Johnson inks NIL deal with The Athlete's Foot, joins as brand ambassador

Flau’jae Johnson is extending her reign in the sneaker world.

The LSU basketball star and Roc Nation-signed rapper already has a longstanding relationship with Puma. Now the sophomore guard inked an NIL deal with The Athlete’s Foot, joining the company as a brand ambassador. Based in Atlanta, the sneaker and streetwear chain has 550 stores in more than 30 countries, with its global headquarters located in Stans, Switzerland.

As part of the agreement, Johnson signed with the brand through the rest of 2024. She will participate in social media campaigns and activations, along with attending community events. The deal weaves in her basketball prowess and rap abilities with her sense of style.

“We are beyond excited to welcome Flau’jae Johnson into The Athlete’s Foot family,” The Athlete’s Foot vice president of marketing Darius Billings said. “Flau’jae’s story is one of perseverance, talent, and inspiration. She perfectly embodies the values and spirit of TAF, making her an ideal brand ambassador for our community.”

In her first appearance as a brand ambassador, Johnson will attend a meet and greet at the opening of The Athlete’s Foot’s Baton Rouge location on April 19. According to a release, the event will allow fans to interact with the LSU star and celebrate her athleticism and artistic expression.

“I’m honored to join The Athlete’s Foot as their 2024 brand ambassador,” Johnson said. “It’s a platform where I can share my story, connect with others who are chasing their dreams, and blend my worlds of basketball and music. I’m excited to be a part of this partnership with TAF, and I hope to continue to inspire others.”

Flau’jae Johnson proving worth on court

The 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year, Johnson played a key role in helping LSU win the national championship a year ago. She averaged 14.9 points and 5.5 rebounds this season as a sophomore, delivering multiple times in the NCAA Tournament.

In the Tigers’ Sweet 16 win over UCLA last week, she finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, willing LSU to a win. And despite a loss Monday in the Elite Eight to Iowa, she still finished with 23 points and six rebounds. Johnson will be back at LSU for another year, with potentially Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith both returning for a final season.

“As you watch Flau’jae play and you’re just a casual fan that has no allegiance to LSU, you watch her and go, wow, I like watching her perform,” LSU head coach Kim Mulkey told reporters this past weekend morning.

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LSU star holds rising On3 NIL Valuation

Basketball is not her only forte. Johnson has continued to release new music throughout her success these last two years at LSU. The daughter of the late rapper Camouflage, she announced her commitment to LSU with the release of a new song “All Falls Down” accompanied by a music video that featured Baton Rouge’s Lil Boosie. And she has built one of the top NIL brands in the sport. Her list of partners includes Powerade, Tampax, JBL, Amazon, Doritos, Papa John’s, Raising Cane’s and Meta.

With more than 3.2 million social media followers, Johnson holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.1 million. The valuation is No. 3 in women’s basketball, only trailing Caitlin Clark and Reese. It is also No. 17 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.

The valuation has grown by $14,000 over the past 10 weeks.

“Despite what some fans and media believe, there is not an unlimited amount of money being deployed to manage rosters,” said Shannon Terry, the founder and CEO of On3. “Any model – whether it’s today’s broken NCAA ‘student-athlete’ construct or media rights sharing through employment, which is almost a certainty in the near future – demands efficiency based on the athlete and school knowing the athlete’s respective market value.”

The On3 NIL Valuation is calculated by combining Roster Value and personal NIL. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. NIL in an athlete’s name, image and likeness and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.

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