“I put in too much work” - $1.1M NIL-valued Flau'jae Johnson reflects on LSU’s 83-56 win against MTSU after struggling through first half

Flau'jae Johnson, No. 3 seed LSU's (30-5) sophomore guard, played an impressive 38 minutes in Sunday's NCAA Tournament second-round game against No. 11 seed Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (30-5), leading her team to an 83-56 victory and a spot in the Sweet 16.

Johnson put up 21 points, four assists, and two blocks while shooting 6-for-10 from the field and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line.

In a post-game interview, Johnson reflected on her team's hard-fought win.

During the interview, players called Johnson (valued at $1.1 million in NIL endorsements, Per On3),“(The) Best sophomore in the country.”

ESPN asked Johnson via a headset microphone she connected from the court, “Nobody's beating LSU in your house today?” Johnson replied,

“I wasn't going home,” she said. “I put in too much work. Our team put in too much work. First of all, I want to thank God, Jesus, my Lord and Savior. I put in so much work, and I'm just a walking representation today.”

The LSU Tigers will face the winner of the No. 2 (26-6) seed UCLA vs. No. 7 seed (26-5) Creighton matchup in the next round.

Under pressure, Flau'jae Johnson preached ‘unity’

Flau'jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers.

LSU starter Hailey Van Lith was left on the bench at the beginning of the second half but returned to the floor about seven minutes later.

Meanwhile, Flau'jae Johnson recalled telling her fellow Tigers in that pivotal moment:

“We gotta stay poised and stay together. If we're gonna keep shooting one shot and they're making a 3, we're not going to win this game,” Johnson said (h/t The Mirror US).

“We've got to play together. Let it go, let's just play together. And we came out with a [win].”

Moreover, Angel Reese had a double-double performance, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Despite trailing by nine points in the third quarter, the third-seeded LSU finished the game with a dominant display, that ended the Blue Raiders' 20-game winning streak.