Flau'jae Johnson tears up in Elite Eight press conference, gets 100% real after UCLA stuns LSU

LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson could not hold back her tears in the postgame press conference following her team's loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of March Madness on Sunday. At Spokane Arena, LSU fell to UCLA 72-65, failing to make it to the Final Four for the second consecutive year.

Johnson, who could enter the 2025 WNBA draft this year, reflected on the season as she gushed with emotion after the tough loss. She began by thanking God for helping her overcome adversity this year.

"I feel like the number one thing is my relationship with God," Johnson said (at 5:05). "When I went to God, I was able to open up to my teammates, I was able to open up to Coach Mulkey, and I felt I became a better person.

"I really became a leader, and that's who I am at heart. I want to continue to be a better person. We had success, we made history, but man, I have sisters for life. Even in this moment of defeat, I'm still like, 'Thank you, Jesus, for the opportunity.'"

Flau'jae Johnson added she gained so much perspective from this year and called it a "beautiful" experience.

The 5-foot-10 junior was the best player on the floor for the Tigers in the loss. She finished with a game-high 28 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks while shooting 10 of 17 from the field.

Kim Mulkey says she's forever grateful to Flau'jae Johnson's contribution

LSU coach Kim Mulkey spoke about how Flau'jae Johnson has made a big difference for the team and what she has done for her.

Even though Johnson is still in her junior year, she will be 22 this year, so she can enter the WNBA draft. While the Georgia native has not decided whether to turn pro, Mulkey is thankful for what Johnson has done for her.

"I remember when I took the LSU job. Flau'jae Johnson was the first McDonald's All-American that I signed at LSU," Mulkey said postgame. "I had not coached or won anything at LSU, and she came to LSU. And so she jumpstarted our program, really ... I'm forever indebted to Flau'jae."

In her first season with the Tigers, Johnson was named the SEC Freshman of the Year and helped lead them to their first national championship in program history. This season, she earned First-team All-SEC honors after guiding LSU to a 31-6 record, averaging 18.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.