"It's a very big decision": Flau'jae Johnson speaks her heart while addressing uncertainty around LSU future

LSU star Flau'jae Johnson overcame a foot injury that kept her out of the Southeastern Conference Tournament to play in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers were beaten 72-65 by the No. 1-seeded UCLA Bruins in the Elite Eight, ending their season and giving Johnson a decision to make regarding her future.

Despite not having played four seasons of college basketball, Johnson will turn 22 years old this year, making her eligible for the WNBA Draft. Last week, she revealed her decision to return to college basketball instead of declaring for the Draft.

During Thursday's segment of the "Best of Both Worlds" podcast, the charismatic Johnson spoke her heart, seemingly dismissing transfer portal speculations.

"I wanna graduate at LSU," Flau'jae Johnson said (22:45). "But I do be feeling like the situation has to be right for you. I feel like your development is important. I feel like a lot of things go into a transfer portal decision. I feel like it's a very big decision. I don't think you should take that lightly.

"So, I don't know, I've never really thought about the portal. But I don't know, it depends on your situation. I wasn't on social media. I know they be talking crazy and I don't have time. Especially on the Twitter app."

Flau'jae Johnson explains WNBA Draft decision

Flau'jae Johnson opting to remain in college basketball rather than declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft is part of a raft of similarly surprising moves, including Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Olivia Miles entering the portal and joining the TCU Horned Frogs instead.

During Thursday's segment of the "Best of Both Worlds" podcast, Johnson explained why she decided to be projected as a first-round pick.

“There was a lot of talk about me going into the draft," Flau'jae Johnson said. "I thought about it, but first of all, I’m not trying to go out on an L, second of all, you have to think about the CBA, third, I want to try to win. I know I can develop more. I’m a great player but I can’t turn it on and off.

"I love the WNBA but I don’t think it’s time yet. I talked to coach Mulkey and we had a real conversation about how things are going and that really helped us see what we both think and how I can make this year my best year.”

Flau'jae Johnson won the national championship as a freshman and has repeatedly stated her desire to lead her team to the national championship as a key cog.