"We got to clean that up": Flau'Jae Johnson seems unhappy with LSU defense despite win vs Texas A&M

Kim Mulkey's LSU Tigers got back in the win column after Friday's disheartening 66-56 loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks. Led by guards Flau'jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow, the fifth-ranked team in the nation outpaced the Texas A&M Aggies 64-51 for their sixth SEC victory of the season and 21st overall.

In 30 minutes of action, Johnson contributed a game-high 22 points, including an 8-for-8 performance from the charity stripe, along with five rebounds, two assists and four steals.

During the post-game presser, the junior standout expressed dissatisfaction with how her squad fared against Texas A&M, despite holding the Aggies to 31.4% shooting. Johnson said more needs to be done if the team aims to win the conference trophy and repeat as national champions.

"Personally, I think we could have did way better," she expressed (1:08). "We had a couple of defensive lapses where they shot off near kills, which is like three stops in a row. So, we got to clean that up on defense. And, they was at the free throw line. We put them at the free throw line. So, you take away those free throws, they score about 10 points in the first half."

"So, we got to clean that up. But, I think we did okay. I think we're getting better and better. We are a good defensive team. But, we don't want to be good. We want to be great."

For a team that has immense hopes of reaching far into the national tournament this campaign, Johnson seems like she wants her team's defense to improve even further. They will have the opportunity to do that on Thursday, Jan. 30, when they host the No. 15-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

Flau'jae Johnson addresses LSU's lackluster shooting percentages as of late

Apart from working on their defensive lapses, Flau'jae Johnson recognized that her team needs to improve its shooting percentages as well. In a conference as talented as the SEC and with tougher competition to follow in the national tournament, the LSU Tigers will have to make shots at a better rate.

"We in the gym everyday on that shooting machine putting in reps. Me, personally, I'm getting out of my shot, moving to the left, to the right when I shoot the 3. Shots gonna fall, as long as we do what we do on defense," Johnson said. (2:43)

"That just goes to show how great we could be. We in these games without shooting the ball good at all from the three...We shoot the ball better, it's going to be scary. But, it's going to come."

In the 2024-2025 season, LSU is shooting just 47.9% overall and 32.9% from 3-point territory. Johnson is producing points at a 48.3% clip with a 36.5% 3-point percentage.