Kim Mulkey gave prominence to something many fans theorized. As Flau’Jae Johnson knocked down a three-pointer to extend the LSU lead to 89-72 over Duke, she had some words with opposing coach Kara Lawson on her way back to defense. After the 93-77 win, Kim Mulkey revealed some bitter feelings between the two. “She didn’t have a good experience at USA Basketball with Kara (Lawson) this summer.” She said after their win against Duke. However, Flau’jae maintained she has no personal enmity with the USA coach. 

“I was fired up in the moment, but I have nothing but the utmost respect for Coach Kara Lawson, the coach I won my first Gold Medal under. Don’t get it twisted, she’s a legend.” Johnson wrote after the game. Nevertheless, the whispers of some major battle brewing behind the scenes won’t stop. Now, the LSU star has maintained that Lawson remains a pivotal coach during her development.

“It wasn’t like a difficult relationship with coach Cara because she taught me so much that I didn’t even know going into USA basketball, just a lot of pro-level stuff in her mind, how she teaches defense and reads, etc,” Johnson said in an interview with Yahoo Sports. 

Flau’jae won the Gold Medal at the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, playing for the American team under Lawson. The squad basically skated through the tournament. They won games in the group stage with an average margin of 43 points. The most testing game was the semifinals against Canada, even though they won it by 12 points. They comfortably beat Brazil in the finals to take home the title. Amid this run, however, Johnson’s minutes remained limited, something she isn’t too happy about. 

“It was like a tough situation, like me not being able to play. And so for me, my mindset as a competitor was just like doing the Duke game, of course, I was like okay, I’m excited. I’m going to be able to show her, like this is the type of player I am. And so it wasn’t like anything that was like supposed to be too crazy. It was just like the heat-of-the-moment competitive.”

Johnson averaged 11.8 minutes across seven games in the tournament. Even after her best performance against the Dominican Republic when she recorded a game-high 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 2 assists in a tournament-high 20 minutes, she was limited to 6 minutes combined for the rest of the tournament. As a response, she is averaging a whopping 16.6 points, 3.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game. That includes 18 points, 3 assists, and 5 rebounds against Lawson’s Duke. 

 “The first team we played was actually a good team, and they jumped out on us like 11 to one early.”She further said, “And so for me it was just like I wanted to just be able to show her, you know, it’s nothing but utmost respect and just competitive.”

To be fair, Lawson had multiple talented guards to choose from. Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles played approximately 20 minutes per game, providing scoring, creativity, perimeter shooting, and solid defense. Lawson did little wrong in playing them over Johnson. However, as an elite player, you always want to play. Flau’Jae just wanted to show her Team USA coach that she is on par with the players she was actually selected to play with. This same challenge could also follow Johnson once she takes the step up to the WNBA. Thanks to this experience, she is preparing herself to fight through any situation. 

Flau’Jae Johnson Expects Stiff Competition In the WNBA

Flau’Jae Johnson could have easily been a top pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. Going head-to-head with the likes of Paige Bueckers after reaching the Final Four last season. However, she felt incomplete. Johnson wants the title with LSU, and in the process, she is learning more about facing adversity, which is making her WNBA-ready.

“You just have to work through it, and you have to be mentally there. That’s something I’m still learning today. Even with my workout today, I had a very tough workout, and it was just more so about my mental and being ready. I know for a fact that every situation is not the same; you have to earn your keep,” She said. 

Whether it’s Team USA or the WNBA, there will always be players who will be better or preferred over Flau’Jae Johnson. The U19 stint with the national team was the first taste for Johnson because she has always been the standout star in high school and at LSU. As a top-tier recruit, she started every game as a freshman. With the standards getting higher in the WNBA and the national team, she is sharpening her nails. 

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“I’m just going to work. So I’m never going to be in that situation again, and whatever I do, every facet of the game. When I do get to the WNBA, somebody beat me out of the spot, they beat me out of the spot 100%. It’s just like being 100% prepared. So I’m never in that situation again. But you have to go through situations like that to live, and I learn.” Johnson concluded. 

Currently, Johnson is predicted to be the No.5 pick, going to the Chicago Sky, according to ESPN and Tankathon. While the competition there is lax compared to some other teams, she will still be warranted to play at a cut above. Angel Reese has already expressed that if the team doesn’t level up, she could walk, raising the stakes for the franchise and incoming recruits.