Flau'jae Johnson's mom Kia Brooks expresses pride as LSU star gets shortlisted for major award

Flau'jae Johnson's mom, Kia Brooks, was overjoyed as her daughter got shortlisted for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. On Tuesday, the Naismith Hall of Fame announced the top five finalists for the prestigious honor, including Johnson, Ta'Niya Latson, JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo and Mikayla Blakes.

On Wednesday, Brooks, an entrepreneur and talent manager, expressed her pride on Instagram with a lengthy, heartfelt post about Johnson making the top five.

"I'm beyond proud of my incredibly talented kid, Flau'jae!" Brooks wrote. "Despite the doubters who said a rapper and hooper couldn't excel in both fields, her achievements prove them wrong. The numbers speak for themselves, now she's standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the best in the game!"

Brooks went on to praise Flau'jae Johnson's "unwavering dedication," passion and resilience, saying her success serves as a powerful reminder that anything is possible with hard work.

"I'm grateful to see God using Flau'jae as a vessel for young people everywhere, showing them that they too can pursue their multiple passions and dont have to choose. All while making a lasting impact," Brooks added.

Johnson, a junior guard at LSU, is averaging 18.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, guiding the Tigers to a 27-4 record (12-4 SEC). She was also named to the All-SEC First Team earlier this week.

LSU travels to Greenville for SEC Tournament without Flau'jae Johnson

Kim Mulkey's No. 9 LSU Tigers will head to the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina without one of their star players, Flau'jae Johnson.

Johnson, the team's leading scorer, played her last game in a loss to No. 19 Alabama on Feb. 27 and did not appear in the Tigers' regular-season finale against Ole Miss.

Mulkey said Johnson will be out for the upcoming SEC Tournament as the team tries to get the injury under control.

"I sat Flau'jae," Mulkey said postgame after the Ole Miss loss. "The doctor didn't tell her she had to sit. The trainer didn't tell her she had to sit. This started before the Texas game, and I encouraged her to sit then."

"When your shins are hurting you, it's like your feet and your back. When they are hurting, you cannot mentally perform. I don't care how tough you are, how much pain tolerance you have — it affects you."

Without Flau'jae Johnson, LSU will lean heavily on senior Aneesah Morrow, who leads the team in rebounding (14.0 rpg) and is second in scoring (18.2 ppg) behind Johnson, as well as sophomore Mikaylah Williams to carry the scoring load.