On Thursday night, Flau’jae Johnson and LSU visited Duke for a highly anticipated nonconference matchup.
Leading up to the game, tension had been building between Johnson and Duke coach Kara Lawson, stemming from their time together on the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup team.
During that tournament, Johnson’s playing time dropped sharply, prompting fans to speculate about a possible rift between them.
Flau’jae Johnson Defends Actions With Lengthy Post
The tension off the court soon found its way into the matchup itself. There was even a social media post in July in which Johnson teased that she was looking forward to meeting Lawson in the ACC/SEC Challenge. This simmering conflict appeared to reach its climax late in the fourth period, when Johnson buried a triple and hurled some NSFW words towards the coach.
After LSU’s 93-77 win over Duke where she tallied 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and one block, Johnson cleared the air with a post on X, saying she was fired up in the moment and she had utmost respect for Lawson.
“Last night was a competitive environment and Duke is an amazing team. Their record does not reflect their grit or toughness. 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. #Legend.” Johnson wrote.
LSU Coach Kim Mulkey Brings Out a Different Take on Flau’jae Johnson-Kara Lawson Situation
However, LSU coach Kim Mulkey shared a different take on what happened late in the fourth period. She said Johnson had the matchup date marked and she was determined to prove to Lawson that she made a mistake by benching her.
“I was happy for Flau’jae. You know, she didn’t have a good experience with USA Basketball with Kara this summer, and so she’s had this date circled. You get nervous because you think she’s gonna try to come in here and try to do too much. And I was proud of how she handled herself,” Mulkey said.
The four-time national champion coach disclosed Johnson lost confidence after the FIBA AmeriCup stint and pointed out that she worked during the offseason to able to bring her emotional stability back.
“Flau’jae lost a lot of confidence this summer playing with USA basketball, and it’s my job, when I get her back on campus, to bring her back to where she can help us do what we need to do,” Mulkey said.
The LSU coach has been able to bring back the Johnson she had to come to know in the previous three years. The senior is leading the team’s offense with 17.1 points per game and is tied with Mikaylah Williams in assists, averaging 3.3 per outing.
However, the statistic that best proves Johnson’s confidence is off the charts is her field- goal shooting percentage. The Savannah, Georgia native and daughter of the late rapper Camoflauge has made 54.8% of her shots from the field, including 58.1% from the 3-point line, both career highs.
Whether Johnson was trying to prove a point with Lawson or just bringing out her intense side on the court, the guard’s actions against Duke will be the subject of discussion in college basketball circles for quite some time.