LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson’s Final Home Games Spark Emotional Plea from Kim Mulkey

BATON ROUGE — Kim Mulkey’s emotional plea for a sellout crowd at LSU’s first-round NCAA Tournament game Friday wasn’t about basketball strategy. It was about Flau’jae Johnson’s final home appearance.

The LSU head coach revealed during a radio interview Tuesday with ESPN 104.5 that the thought of Johnson playing her last game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center brought her to tears. “If we’re fortunate enough to beat Jacksonville (in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament Friday), acquire out here on Sunday and watch Flau’jae,” Mulkey said, according to the station. “That will be her last game ever—I get emotional because that kid has meant so much to our program.”

LSU (26-5) is a No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 2 region and will host No. 15 seed Jacksonville (14-18) on Friday. A win would guarantee Johnson at least one more game in Baton Rouge, a potential second-round matchup against the winner of No. 7 Texas Tech, and No. 10 Villanova on Sunday.

Johnson, a fourth-year player and key contributor to the Tigers’ 2023 national championship team, was surprised by Mulkey’s public display of emotion. “It was surprising,” Johnson said, “but we have—Coach Kim is just funny. But I really do love her. I think it’s kind of starting to hit everybody like, wow, she’s like me. We’re focused on the next game ahead. We’re not thinking of the future, but when you kind of think about it, it’s like wow, four years ago when I came here, I was a baby.”

Johnson recounted how Mulkey and her staff took a chance on her when other programs were hesitant, given her simultaneous pursuit of a basketball career and a music career. “They believed in me and my vision,” Johnson said. Mulkey, in turn, has praised Johnson for being the first high-caliber recruit to commit to her vision for LSU.

Mulkey emphasized the significance of Johnson’s four years with the program, particularly in an era where players often leave for the professional ranks after fewer seasons. “She stayed four years,” Mulkey said. “She makes unbelievable money but not off of LSU. She gives back to the community and gives things that people don’t know about. She goes all over this campus, I don’t think people know her last name. You just know that’s Flau’jae.”

The coach urged fans to attend Sunday’s potential second-round game to show their appreciation for Johnson. “That’s your way of showing appreciation,” Mulkey said. “What is the appreciation for Flau’jae that’s any different than any player I’ve ever coached? I love them all the same.”

Johnson acknowledged the emotional weight of the situation, admitting she’s trying to focus on each game as it comes. “I’m having this mindset of, let’s beat Jacksonville. Let’s handle our business and then let’s get to the next game,” she said. “So I’m trying not to think about it too much. But yeah, I don’t think I’m going to be OK.”

LSU is making its fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, and this year’s No. 2 seed is the highest the program has received during Mulkey’s tenure, according to the LSU Reveille. The Tigers will be without two assistant coaches, Gary Redus and Daphne Mitchell, who have both recently accepted head coaching positions at Rutgers University.