"I would want her to come to basketball": LSU's Flau'jae Johnson reveals her dream NIL partner

Flau’jae Johnson is one of the active NIL leaders featured in the “Money Game.” It's a six-part docuseries by Amazon Prime that showcases the impact of NIL deals on college athletics by primarily focusing on certain LSU names.

So, when the streaming platform organized a launching event of the series, Trace Young, Olivia Dunne, Alia Armstrong and Flau’jae Johnson were asked about a potential NIL partner.

Instead of partnering, the LSU guard shared that she would like to swap athletic lives with Olivia Dunne.

“I would say Livvy Dunne,” Johnson said. “I would try to like, go into her world in like gymnastics, knowing I can’t. And I would want her to come to basketball. That would be cool,” she added.

Flau'jae Johnson is a star guard for LSU Tigers, known for her moves on the court and a second career behind the mic which she nurtured this summer.

Olivia Dunne made headlines early in her gymnastics career through the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics Program. As she transitioned to LSU, she not only continued her athletic growth but also found social media fame.

She has one of the largest fan bases across platforms among NCAA athletes, leaving Paige Bueckers and Haley Cavinder behind.

---

Flau'jae Johnson has figured out the recipe for high NIL valuations

When it comes to the biggest NIL valuation in women’s basketball, Flau’jae Johnson clinched the top spot earlier this summer.

That was until Paige Bueckers reclaimed the top spot a few weeks ago. Johnson’s valuation sits around $1.3 million, while Bueckers’ is estimated at $1.4 million.

Flau'jae Johnson said that winning plays the most integral role in landing deals and growing one’s NIL valuations, as reflected on SEC Radio this week:

“At the end of the day, they (brands) still want to sponsor me because I’m a good athlete, and we win,” she said. "So I think you have to win to get the best deals.

"We won the national championship, the best deals of my life. Because we had so much exposure. I think you have to keep the main thing the main thing. You focus on that, and then everything else just seems to fall in line," she added.

Flau'jae Johnson lifted the NCAA trophy in her freshman year as the LSU Tigers beat Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2022-23 finals.

Even though Johnson was just a freshman, she played a monumental role throughout the season, winning the SEC Freshman of the Year award.