Many had assumed Flau’jae would make the leap to the pros after last season, but she surprised some by hitting the pause button. “I definitely want to win, but I want to make sure I’m being developed to be the player that I want to be in the WNBA,” she said, highlighting that her journey wasn’t just about immediate success, but about growth and readiness. One of the first steps in that plan? Lacing up for Team USA at the FIBA AmeriCup, sharing the court with some of the nation’s best college players.

Team USA, featuring Flau’jae, captured the gold medal with a 92-84 win over Brazil in the finals. The star of the night was Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes, who erupted for 27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. But back in Baton Rouge, the focus was on celebrating the return of a gold medalist.

According to journalist Cory Diaz, the university honored their gold medalist at Tiger Stadium in Louisiana during the football game against LSU and Texas A&M. Flau’jae Johnson was on the field with her family and the beloved mascot Mike the Tiger when the announcer shared her achievement, sparking a thunderous cheer from the 101,924 fans in attendance. The LSU social media team later shared snapshots of the moment on Instagram, captioning it: “Celebrating an AmeriCup Gold Medalist in Death Valley 🏆”

The LSU guard averaged 4.3 points on 32.4% shooting, along with 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 11.8 minutes per game during the AmeriCup. On paper, the numbers might not seem extraordinary, but her impact was undeniable. She recorded 4 steals in Game 1 against Chile, contributing to a 108-47 blowout, and quickly established herself as one of the tournament’s top defensive guards.

Flau’jae Johnson’s standout moment came in the AmeriCup quarterfinals against the Dominican Republic, where she dropped 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and recorded 4 steals in just 20 minutes, helping Team USA cruise to a 110-44 victory. Unfortunately, that would be the last time she saw significant minutes in the tournament, as she was limited to just 3 minutes each in the semifinals and finals. It was a valuable learning experience for the LSU guard, who had rarely faced minute restrictions in her career until then. But as she gets closer to earning a spot on a WNBA roster, situations like this will simply be part of growing up as a player.

Her coach also had a special demand for her as she heads into what is likely to be her last season with the Lady Tigers.

Kim Mulkey has a demand from Flau’jae Johnson

Last season, Flau’jae put up a career-high 18.6 points per game on 46.8% shooting, along with 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, helping the program reach its third consecutive Elite Eight. But beyond the impressive stats, there was one thing she had no experience with: being a leader.

Playing alongside stars like Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow, Johnson never had to shoulder the mantle of leadership. This season, however, Coach Mulkey is looking to the senior to step into that role, guiding a young Tigers roster and leading them on another championship push.

“Flau’Jae, she leads by what she does with her music, but I think she’s always been reluctant to be a leader of teammates because she wants them to like her,” Kim Mulkey said at SEC Media Day. “She never felt comfortable doing it because she always had the great older player in that locker room. Now, you are that older player. You’re the senior. You’ve been here, you know the ropes. So go lead your basketball team.”

Leadership might not come naturally to her, but the Tigers will need Johnson to step up and fill the void left by Aneesah Morrow. The Lady Tigers open their regular season at home against Houston Christian on November 4. Can Johnson rise to the occasion? Only time will tell!