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Flau'Jae Johnson announces return to LSU, with new expectations

On3 imageby:Matthew Brune•04/23/25•

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NCAA Womens Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-San Diego St. at Louisiana State
Mar 22, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Lady Tigers guard Flau'Jae Johnson (4) celebrates after the game against the San Diego State Aztecs at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

LSU guard Flau’Jae Johnson has had a busy past month since LSU was eliminated in the Elite Eight for the second straight season. The junior All-American has been announcing music tours, contemplated entering the WNBA Draft, then considered the transfer portal, before eventually indicating she was going to return to LSU earlier this month.

Johnson always keeps her name in the headlines and on Wednesday afternoon, Johnson did an exclusive interview with Front Office Sports officially announcing her return to LSU and explaining what went into the decision.

“I’m coming back to LSU,” Johnson said. “There wasn’t really any contemplation. There were conversations I wanted to have with coach Mulkey because this is my last year. I definitely want to win, but I want to make sure I’m being developed to be the player that I want to be in the WNBA. Trying to find out how I can make that happen this year. I want to be as prepared as possible.” 

For Johnson, there’s an excitement that she gets to return to the Tigers and continue her incredible career, but it’s not without urgency. She knows she has to improve to get where she wants to go and this is her final season to make her goals a reality in college.

“It’s going to be me, allowing Coach Mulkey to coach the hell out of me,” Johnson said of next season. “Just so everybody else falls in line. I’m going to have to be the one to take that to show an example, this is the standard here. I’m ready to do that. I wasn’t ready to do that in my previous years. Now, I know what it takes.” 

Another part of the story from Front Office Sports includes Johnson’s desire to play point guard this season. Johnson already had the highest usage percentage on the team last year, above Aneesah Morrow and Mikaylah Williams, but now she wants the ball in her hands even more. She talked after LSU’s tournament loss about being more of that high school version of her, which included ball handling duties, and it seems she wants more of that this year.

Regardless of how it works out, getting Johnson back is a major boost for this LSU program and the roster continue to be built around her and Williams. Mulkey and this program are hungry to get back to the top and these two will lead the way once again.

“Mikaylah and Flau’Jae, I don’t think there are two finer people out there in that generation, but also two better basketball players,” Mulkey said. “You’ve got one on each side coming down the court and for them to want to play together, I’m the lucky one to get to coach them.”

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