LSU star Flau’Jae Johnson will skip the 2025 WNBA Draft and play her senior season of college basketball, multiple outlets reported.
A source told ESPN that Johnson will consider NIL offers before deciding whether to return to Baton Rouge for the 2025-26 campaign or enter the transfer portal before it closes on April 23.
The 21-year-old guard was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference and third-team All-America selection this year, averaging 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 34 games (all starts).
Johnson won a national championship with LSU as a freshman in 2022-23 and has career averages of 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals in 106 games (104 starts).
She helped the Tigers finish 31-6 this season, losing to top-seeded UCLA in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday. After the game, Johnson hinted at staying in school for another season.
“Once I taste the national championship more and more,” Johnson said. “I feel like that national championship I have, yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors. I want my own one, you know what I’m saying? Where I lead the team. That’s what you really want.”
The 2025 WNBA Draft is scheduled for April 14. Despite not playing four seasons of college hoops, Johnson was eligible because she will turn 22 in November.
Johnson is one of the sport’s most marketable players and also a rapper who has released three albums. She has NIL deals with Powerade, Puma, Amazon, Experian and several other companies, with On3 estimating her NIL valuation at $1.5 million.
–Field Level Media
