Tag: Flau’Jae Johnson

LSU women’s basketball hosted elite transfer portal guard last week

Kailyn Gilbert averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a sophomore at Arizona.

After the Tigers’ national title defense season ended in the Elite Eight, they’re likely to hit the transfer portal hard once again after losing starting point guard Hailey Van Lith, who committed to TCU.

The LSU women’s basketball team may have a replacement in mind for the backcourt. It hosted Arizona guard transfer [autotag]Kailyn Gilbert[/autotag] last weekend, and the Tigers could be trending for the premier scorer.

A sophomore from Tampa, Gilbert has appeared in 55 games in her two seasons in Tucson, making 19 starts. This past season, she averaged 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. She led the Wildcats in scoring, and that mark ranked seventh overall in the Pac-12.

LSU has a lot to replace following the departures of Angel Reese to the WNBA draft and Van Lith to the portal. But with a player like Gilbert added to a backcourt that already features [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag], the Tigers could have a much more ferocious offensive attack next season.

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Hailey Van Lith doesn’t declare for WNBA draft as deadline passes

Hailey Van Lith hasn’t made any public announcements as the draft deadline has now passed.

The deadline to declare for the WNBA draft came and went on Wednesday, and LSU’s [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] is yet to announce her plans.

[autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] declared and the assumption was Van Lith would too. Both were honored at LSU’s senior day last month, but official decisions were up in the air.

With Reese off to the WNBA, Van Lith’s next step is still unclear. It’s possible she silently declared, but if she didn’t, that could mean a return to LSU is in the fold.

Van Lith passing on the draft doesn’t guarantee a return to LSU. The senior guard could opt to hit the transfer portal again and explore her options elsewhere.

Van Lith’s numbers at LSU were below the standard she set at Louisville, but with Reese gone, Van Lith has the chance to take center stage on next year’s team.

Van Lith, along with [autotag]Flau’jae Johnson[/autotag] and [autotag]Mikaylah Williams[/autotag] could form one of the nation’s most dynamic backcourts.

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LSU’s Angel Reese details hate, ‘death threats’ she’s received in the last year after Iowa loss

Angel Reese opened up about the hate she has received during her time with the Tigers.

LSU’s hopes of repeating as national champions came to an end on Monday night with a 94-87 loss to Iowa in the Elite Eight in a rematch of last season’s title game.

It may have been the final game in a Tigers uniform for Angel Reese, who is a projected top pick in the WNBA draft but has the opportunity to return to LSU.

After the game, Reese took the chance to address criticism she has received from fans and media, stating that she has received death threats and hasn’t been truly happy since the team won the national title last year.

“I don’t really get to speak out on things just because I try to ignore,” Reese told reporters. “I just try to stand strong. I’ve been through so much. I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times (with) death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things and I’ve stood strong every single time.

“I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them. I just want them to always just know I’m still a human. All this has happened since I won the national championship. I said the other day, I haven’t been happy since then. And it sucks, but I still wouldn’t change. I wouldn’t change anything, and I’d still sit here and say that I’m unapologetically me.”

Reese’s teammates [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] also took the opportunity to defend Reese from what they perceived to be hate directed toward her.

Y’all do not get to her. Let me say it again. Y’all do not get to Angel Reese,” Van Lith said. “So you might want to throw the towel in because you’re wasting your energy.”

If this truly is the end of the road for Reese at LSU, it’s been quite a memorable two years for the Bayou Barbie.

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COLUMN: This year’s LSU women’s basketball team wasn’t equipped to play at the top of the sport

This LSU squad ultimately lacked the pieces that carried the team to a national title last season.

LSU’s championship hopes came crashing down after it ran into the force that is Caitlin Clark.

Iowa got off to a hot start before LSU managed to sustain a run of its own. It was reminiscent of the early run LSU went on in last year’s game, overwhelming Iowa with active defense and physicality in the post.

But then, [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] left the game with an ankle. She would return, but she wasn’t the same player that dominated the first quarter. Iowa took control in the second half and closed it out.

Reese’s ankle certainly played a factor and if she’s healthy, maybe LSU is advancing to the Final Four. But that’s not the reason LSU lost that game.

LSU’s going home because this team wasn’t capable of winning a title. That’s not an indictment of any individual, from Reese to [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag], but this team, as a whole, lacked something.

Last year’s team had all the right pieces. Think back to that 102-85 victory over Iowa in the national title. It wasn’t just Reese and [autotag]Flau’jae Johnson[/autotag]. The difference was [autotag]Jasmine Carson[/autotag] coming off the bench and hitting five threes. [autotag]Ladazhia Williams[/autotag] scored 20 points in the post. In the backcourt, [autotag]Alexis Morris[/autotag] scored 21 and [autotag]Kateri Poole[/autotag] went two for two from behind the arch.

But this year, when Reese went cold with the ankle, the supporting cast didn’t immediately answer the call. Johnson did eventually, with a strong second half, but it was too late. Iowa already seized momentum.

LSU had three chances this year to secure a win against one of the top teams in the sport. Two against South Carolina and again on Monday against Iowa. LSU was competitive but went 0-3 in those games. At some point, we just have to admit this team wasn’t equipped to play at the top of the sport this year.

Coming off the national title, LSU was favored to do it again. Returning Reese and Johnson along with the transfer additions of [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag] and [autotag]Aneesah Morrow[/autotag] led many to believe this team would be even better.

But as the year went on, cracks started to emerge. Poole was dismissed from the team while [autotag]Sa’Myah Smith[/autotag] tore her ACL. Van Lith struggled to transition to a true point guard role. Mulkey expressed frustration as LSU struggled to defend, play in transition and protect the ball.

LSU was upset by Colorado, Auburn and Mississippi State. Three solid teams, but all well below LSU’s talent level.

I said this team lacked something, but it’s hard to say what that exact something is. If LSU had a point guard like Morris out there, is that enough to push LSU over the edge?

That wouldn’t solve the inconsistency we saw from this team or the inability to keep up with Iowa’s three-point shooting.

This team had no glaring weakness, but it had enough. And put together, it was enough to end LSU’s year. The Iowa loss is disappointing, but there’s a reason LSU was an underdog to begin with.

The immediate future is unclear. Reese and Van Lith both face WNBA decisions while Mulkey is sure to look in the transfer portal for some help at guard and improved depth.

Still, it’s hard to not trust Mulkey after her first three years in Baton Rouge. LSU will be back.

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A teary Angel Reese reminded everyone she’s just human as teammates passionately defended her

These are powerful messages from Angel Reese and Flau’Jae Johnson.

One of the harder parts of playing sports in front of the national audience is dealing with the attention from fans, media and beyond.

After the LSU women’s basketball team fell to Iowa in the Elite Eight round on Monday night, two of the team’s best players delivered powerful reminders to all willing to listen about the very real human cost of visibility.

Angel Reese and Flau’Jae Johnson both talked about the negative attention that the program, and Reese in particular, have received since the team won the 2023 women’s NCAA national championship.

Reese was moved to tears during both moments, as she reminded her critics that she’s human and detailed some of the hardships she has faced since becoming a national figure.

“I’ve been through so much; I’ve seen so much,” an emotional Reese told reporters after the game. “I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats, I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time, and I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and, like, not be there for them. So, I just want them to always just now, like, I’m still a human.”

Johnson provided a similarly stirring defense of Reese amid any outside criticism, talking about what a role model she is for her teammates. Her words also made Reese quite emotional.

“Y’all don’t know Angel Reese,” Johnson said. “I know the real Angel Reese, and the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person… The crown she [wears] is heavy… She’s the type of teammate that’s going to make you believe in yourself.”

Van Lith also vigorously defended Reese, saying that any hate was not going to get to her.

It’s always an important reminder that we always engage with athletes, especially those playing at the collegiate level, with empathy and respect, as nothing that happens on the court is as important as how those who play are treated away from the game.

It’s clear that LSU has Reese’s back, and you can only hope more people will heed this message and treat all of these athletes with care and class.

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Flau’Jae Johnson, Hailey Van Lith fiercely defend Angel Reese: ‘People speak hate into her life’

“Y’all do not get to Angel Reese, so you might want to give it up,” Hailey Van Lith said after the loss to Iowa.

LSU’s season came to an end on Monday night in the Elite Eight against Iowa as the Hawkeyes took the national title rematch 94-87 to advance to the Final Four.

Despite a valiant effort from star [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag], who had a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double, the Tigers couldn’t keep their hopes alive of repeating as champions.

Reese has faced quite a bit of criticism, mostly as a result of her passion and intensity. Much of it also crosses a line, and it isn’t lost on her teammates, who took the opportunity to defend their leader after the game.

“Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y’all don’t know her. Y’all don’t know Angel Reese. I know Angel Reese,” [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag], who led the Tigers with 23 points in the loss, said. “I know the real Angel Reese and the person I see every day is a strong person. Is a caring, loving person. The crown she wears is heavy. She’s the type of teammate that’s going to make you believe in yourself.

“The leap that I took from my freshman to my sophomore year, Angel gave me that confidence to go be a dog. Playing next to a dog every day. And just to see how the media ridicules her, this is my sister here and I’m so proud of her. How they like to twist it and call her the villain, y’all don’t know Angel… She just makes me a better player, and that’s what great players do.”

Guard [autotag]Hailey Van Lith[/autotag], who joined the team this offseason as a transfer from Louisville, echoed those sentiments.

“Angel’s one of the toughest people I’ve been around,” Van Lith said. “People speak hate into her life, I’ve never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her. And it does not affect her. She comes to practice every day, she lives her life every day, she lives how she wants to live. And she don’t let nobody change that. And that’s the key to life right there.

“Y’all do not get to her. Let me say it again: Y’all do not get to Angel Reese, so you might want to give it up. Throw the towel in. Because you’re wasting your energy. Angel is one of the toughest people I’ve been around.”

It remains to be seen if Reese, who has a remaining season of eligibility as a fourth-year junior but is also eligible for the WNBA draft, has played her last game with the Tigers.

But regardless of what she ultimately decides, she has already achieved legend status at LSU. And it seems she’s made quite the positive impact on her teammates, as well.

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LSU women’s basketball’s season ends in Elite Eight in rematch against Iowa

Iowa got its revenge on the Tigers on Monday night.

The LSU women’s basketball team couldn’t complete the repeat in 2024.

The Tigers fought throughout against top-seeded Iowa in the Elite Eight on Monday night, but an unstoppable outing from Caitlin Clark, who finished with 41 points, proved to be too much.

Coach Kim Mulkey’s team saw its season come to an end with a 94-87 loss to the Hawkeyes as it finished the season 31-6.

LSU found itself in an early hole, trailing by as many as nine points in the first quarter as Clark got off to a red-hot start. But she eventually cooled down despite finishing the first half with 19 points, and LSU managed to catch back up.

It finished the quarter on top by five, but the Hawkeyes made it difficult to extend that lead. Iowa ultimately managed to reclaim it in the final minute, but a contest layup at the buzzer from [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] tied it at 45 at halftime.

The second half did not start the way LSU wanted, however. Clark got hot again early in the third quarter, and the Hawkeyes stretched a double-digit lead at one point in the frame. Entering the final quarter, the Tigers had an 11-point deficit to make up.

While they continued to battle and outscored Iowa in the final quarter, they weren’t able to do it. Four Tigers scored in double figures with Johnson leading the way with 23 and [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] recording a 17-point, 20-rebound double-double in what could have been her final game at LSU.

But as a team, they shot just 39% from the field, which wasn’t enough against that Iowa attack. The Hawkeyes move on to face either UConn or USC in the Final Four.

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Iowa advances to Elite Eight, setting up national championship rematch with LSU

Caitlin Clark and Iowa will get their rematch against LSU in the Elite Eight.

There will be a sequel.

Iowa beat Colorado in the Sweet 16 on Saturday afternoon, setting up a rematch of last year’s national title game with LSU.

When the two appeared in the same region, this appeared to be a strong possibility. Now, after both teams took care of business in the Sweet 16, it’s finally happening.

LSU beat Iowa 102-85 in the national title last year. The game was competitive in the first half before LSU’s offense got rolling over the final two quarters. The Hawkeyes defense didn’t have an answer and the Tigers set a national championship game scoring record.

Both teams are peaking at the right time and this one figures to be high-scoring again with Caitlin Clark on one side and LSU’s high-powered attack on the other.

Iowa put up 89 points on Saturday with Clark pouring in 29. If this one becomes a shootout, LSU will have to match it but the Tigers have their own offensive star emerging with [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag] averaging 19.6 points per game in the NCAA tournament.

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Angel Reese sang Flau’jae Johnson’s new song back to her after LSU topped UCLA in the Sweet 16

“Get out your feelings. Get a bag.”

Flau’jae Johnson is a certified baller, and her electric performance against UCLA will have fans totally amped for quite some time. It already had fellow teammate Angel Reese very hype, and Reese was not afraid to sing Flau’jae’s newest song back to her during a funny postgame interview.

Saturday’s Sweet 16 matchup against No. 2 UCLA should be dubbed the Flau’jae Johnson game. The rapper and hooper, who actually listens to her own music before games, didn’t need much motivation Saturday to churn out a 24-point and 12 rebounds performance. Flau’jae was dynamic, putting defenders in a spin cycle and doing things like this that simply defy comprehension.

Postgame, Flau’jae revealed what has fueled her dominance. Here’s what she told ESPN’s Holly Rowe:

“I know people are going to discredit me because I rap and I hoop. I know I gotta go extra hard, so that’s what I do. I’m in the gym.”

A moment later, Rowe attempted to weave in a reference to Flau’jae’s newest song, AMF, into the interview — an acronym that means “Ain’t My Fault” and is an ode to Louisiana rapper Silkk The Shocker’s 1998 hit. However, she was hilariously stopped by Flau’jae, who chimed in with, “It is our fault.” Angel Reese added to the fun moment by completing the lyrics to Flau’jae’s song — Get out your feelings. Get a bag. — back to her.

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LSU women’s basketball star Angel Reese says Tigers are ‘good villains’

Angel Reese leads a group of LSU players who embrace the villain role.

This LSU women’s basketball team can be polarizing. Figures like [autotag]Kim Mulkey[/autotag] and [autotag]Angel Reese[/autotag] have their fair share of defenders, but they have their critics too.

Reese acknowledged that after LSU’s Sweet 16 win over UCLA, saying “We’re the good villains.”

“Everybody wants to be LSU. Everybody wants to beat LSU,” Reese said.

Reese is the emotional leader of this team. You can see it in the way LSU plays with its physical and unapologetic style of basketball. Its paid off in big ways with LSU consistently showing up in big moments since Reese arrived at LSU.

Reese fouled out in the win over UCLA, but she made an impact, scoring 16 points with 11 rebounds and four steals.

Reese isn’t the only one on this team afraid to show personality. We see it from [autotag]Flau’Jae Johnson[/autotag], too, who shared a fun moment with Reese following the win.

LSU won 78-69 after tense second half. The Tigers now await the winner of Iowa and Colorado in the Elite Eight.