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BATON ROUGE – As soon as the buzzer sounded for her substitution, Flau'jae Johnson couldn't hold it in anymore.
She bit her lip, trying her best to hold back the tears but she gave everything. Not just in LSU women's basketball's convincing 101-47 win over Texas Tech in the second round of the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon, but the last four years.
Johnson almost sunk into the waiting arms of LSU coach Kim Mulkey, who also had to fight off her emotions as she subbed Johnson out of the game for the final time inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
"I lost it. I knew I was going to lose it but I was holding strong," Johnson said after the game. "I gave everything I had and just let everything out."
LSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Complete Tigers coverage from The Daily Advertiser
Johnson said she'll never forget the roar of the crowd as she made her exit. She hugged all her teammates on the floor before Mulkey then on down the bench.
She reached the end and lifted up four fingers with both hands, the symbol that has become synonymous for her. The cheers grew louder.
"I was trying not to cry," Mulkey said. "Just hug her. I can't say it enough. Kids don't stay at institutions anymore. Everybody's looking for the next NIL deal. She stayed here and she's impacted so many people in this town that we don't even know about. She shares the wealth."
Johnson certainly went out with a bang, scoring 24 points along with four rebounds and three assists. She has scored 44 points in the two NCAA tournament games so far for the Tigers (29-5), who are now onto the Sweet 16 at the Sacramento 2 Region where it'll play Duke (26-8) next Friday.
Fellow LSU senior Izzy Besselman, who came in the same year as Johnson, describes the two's close-knit relationship as "amazing" and said it's been her honor to support Johnson throughout their four years with LSU together.
"I got a little teary-eyed. Just a testament to how hard she's worked and how much she's given this university and this program," Besselman said. "She deserves every bit of recognition. To be a small part of her journey, I'm honored."
While the NCAA strips down a lot of the identity of the host sites for March Madness with their signage and scoreboard graphics, this weekend was always home games for LSU. And that meant Tigers fans got one final sendoff for its favorite players.
To Johnson's teammates, the scenario provided extra motivation, not wanting her senior season to end in the PMAC.
Freshman ZaKiyah Johnson had a lump come up in her throat when asked about Flau'jae Johnson's last game at home.
"I wanted to have her back tonight," ZaKiyah Johnson said. "Make it a good last run for her.
"She's taught me that it's bigger than basketball. She's unbelievable in life and on the court. It's unmatched, you don't meet a lot of Flau'jae Johnsons. To have a connection with her, I'm grateful."
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Flau'jae Johnson goes out with win in last home game with LSU women
Continue reading...
She bit her lip, trying her best to hold back the tears but she gave everything. Not just in LSU women's basketball's convincing 101-47 win over Texas Tech in the second round of the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament Sunday afternoon, but the last four years.
Johnson almost sunk into the waiting arms of LSU coach Kim Mulkey, who also had to fight off her emotions as she subbed Johnson out of the game for the final time inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
"I lost it. I knew I was going to lose it but I was holding strong," Johnson said after the game. "I gave everything I had and just let everything out."
LSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Complete Tigers coverage from The Daily Advertiser
Johnson said she'll never forget the roar of the crowd as she made her exit. She hugged all her teammates on the floor before Mulkey then on down the bench.
She reached the end and lifted up four fingers with both hands, the symbol that has become synonymous for her. The cheers grew louder.
"I was trying not to cry," Mulkey said. "Just hug her. I can't say it enough. Kids don't stay at institutions anymore. Everybody's looking for the next NIL deal. She stayed here and she's impacted so many people in this town that we don't even know about. She shares the wealth."
Johnson certainly went out with a bang, scoring 24 points along with four rebounds and three assists. She has scored 44 points in the two NCAA tournament games so far for the Tigers (29-5), who are now onto the Sweet 16 at the Sacramento 2 Region where it'll play Duke (26-8) next Friday.
Fellow LSU senior Izzy Besselman, who came in the same year as Johnson, describes the two's close-knit relationship as "amazing" and said it's been her honor to support Johnson throughout their four years with LSU together.
"I got a little teary-eyed. Just a testament to how hard she's worked and how much she's given this university and this program," Besselman said. "She deserves every bit of recognition. To be a small part of her journey, I'm honored."
While the NCAA strips down a lot of the identity of the host sites for March Madness with their signage and scoreboard graphics, this weekend was always home games for LSU. And that meant Tigers fans got one final sendoff for its favorite players.
To Johnson's teammates, the scenario provided extra motivation, not wanting her senior season to end in the PMAC.
Freshman ZaKiyah Johnson had a lump come up in her throat when asked about Flau'jae Johnson's last game at home.
"I wanted to have her back tonight," ZaKiyah Johnson said. "Make it a good last run for her.
"She's taught me that it's bigger than basketball. She's unbelievable in life and on the court. It's unmatched, you don't meet a lot of Flau'jae Johnsons. To have a connection with her, I'm grateful."
Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Flau'jae Johnson goes out with win in last home game with LSU women
Continue reading...
