Remember Flau’jae Johnson’s July post hinting she couldn’t wait to face Kara Lawson in the ACC/SEC Challenge? Well, turns out there was a reason behind that, and it spilled onto the court in the LSU Tigers’ 93-77 win over Duke. Addressing the incident, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey backed her player, and Kara Lawson avoided details during a post-game press conference before Flau’jae released her side of the story.

“Last night was a competitive environment, and Duke is an amazing team,” Flau’jae Johnson posted on X. “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”

Here’s what went down.

Thursday’s LSU vs. Duke game got a little tense. Johnson, who ended the night with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, made sure to lock eyes with Lawson after sinking a massive three-pointer in the fourth quarter. It was obvious the look was meant for Lawson, who seemed to be avoiding the gaze.

When Johnson returned to the bench, lip-readers think she also muttered, “F— is wrong with them.” And LSU’s social media didn’t exactly cool things off either.

The team shared a post featuring a photo of Lawson with her hand on her hip and Johnson standing in front, captioned: “Had a blast at Cameron Indoor.”

After the incident, social media quickly brought out the receipts.

So, Johnson had played under Lawson during the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup in July. While the team won under HC Lawson, Johnson saw limited minutes. She logged 20 minutes in the quarterfinals, but her minutes shrank to just three in both the semis and finals. She mostly came off the bench for players like Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, or TCU’s Olivia Miles.

Coming back to Kim Mulkey, the LSU legend highlighted this very point in her media interaction after the game.

“I was happy for Flau’jae. I was happy,” Mulkey said of Flau’jae. “You know, she didn’t have a good experience at USA Basketball with Kara this summer. And so she’s had this date circled around [the calendar], and you get nervous, right? You get nervous because you think she’s gonna try to come in here and do too much. And I was proud of how she handled herself.”

Mulkey later offered more insight, discussing Lawson’s situation.

“Let me say this. I recruited Kara Lawson back in my Louisiana Tech days. She went and played for Pat Summitt, she’s learned the game, and now she’s going to be the Olympic coach. She’s done a lot of wonderful things in her career. When you become a coach: USA Basketball, LSU, Duke, players aren’t always going to be happy and content,” Mulkey said.

The LSU Tigers head coach also shared how her star player felt dejected after her Team USA stint, and how she needed help to get out of the slump.

“Flau’Jae lost a lot of confidence this summer playing with USA Basketball,” Mulkey added.”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 at LSU.

Lawson, too, didn’t go into the details of the fallout when asked about Mulkey’s comments in the post-game presser.

“My experience was a good one, not just coaching Flau’jae, but coaching all the players, all 12 players, putting a team together and practicing within 10 days and then going to play a tournament,” Lawson said. “And our college players did an incredible job playing against teams that had pro players on it, and we’re able to win the gold. So just really proud of that group.”

Now, after a tough slump, as Mulkey highlighted, Johnson is making sure everyone knows her worth, making a case for her draft value as she continues her last collegiate season.

Flau’jae Johnson throws her hat in the ring for the Dallas Wings’ No. 1 pick

Flau’jae Johnson played a major role in LSU’s 2023 championship as a freshman and has only grown more productive each year.

In 2024-25, Johnson earned Third Team All-American honors, averaging 18.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.7 SPG while shooting 46.8% from the floor and 38.3% from three. This year, she’s stepped up efficiently, posting 17.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.7 SPG while shooting 54.8% overall and a staggering 58.1% from deep (almost six attempts per game) through nine contests.

So, she recently made her draft intentions clear, saying, “I’m so ready to go pro. I really want to establish myself to show I could be the number one pick in the draft.”

The Dallas Wings secured the first overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft after winning the lottery in late November. Unlike last year with Paige Bueckers or the year before with Caitlin Clark, there isn’t a guaranteed top pick this season.

Spain’s Awa Fam, UCLA’s Lauren Betts, and UConn’s Azzi Fudd are currently lining the conversation, but there is a real chance someone else ends up climbing the ranks. And that’s exactly why Johnson is trying her best.