LSU star guard Flau’jae Johnson has signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled Basketball, the new professional women’s 3-on-3 league, Sports Illustrated reports.
Johnson becomes the second college player to join the fledging league following UConn’s Paige Bueckers signing.
The LSU junior expressed her excitement about the historic deal and the impact the league will have on women’s basketball.
“Them being competitors and knowing high-level basketball is going to be played there. It’ll be marketed well, their sign is going to be solely on women’s basketball. I think that’s going to be amazing,” Johnson explained.
Johnson, who plans to join Unrivaled and the WNBA after college, was drawn to the league because it will be in the States. Typically, women play overseas during the WNBA off-season.
She’s also looking forward to learning from some of her basketball idols in the pros.
“I’m going to ask questions,” Johnson said. “I’m a nerd, kind of, when it comes to that, trying to know what’s going on. I’ll be asking a lot of questions as much as I can.”
“It’s super dope because that’s where I’m going to be in a few [years],” she added. “I’ll be right in their position. So, being able to learn from people that are right in front of me being able to watch them, I love seeing pros being pros.”
In addition to her basketball career, Johnson is an emerging rap star. She inked a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and has already released notable collaborations with Lil Wayne and NLE Choppa.
Founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, the Unrivaled League officially launches on Jan. 17, 2025. So far, many of the WNBA’s biggest stars will be participating in the league’s inaugural season, including Angel Reese, Johnson’s former teammate at LSU.
This season, Johnson is averaging 22.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
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