As that last shot circled the rim, Flau’jae Johnson could only stand there and watch her career at LSU come to a disappointing end. The generational player, who had hoped to give her team a second National Championship, was knocked out of the tournament by Texas Tech. But no one let her fall into despair. Head coach Kim Mulkey hugged her tight, and the crowd roared when the rest of the team followed. It was a proper send-off for the LSU star, who also saw some support coming from an Olympic star.

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner took to her Instagram account to share a video of Johnson’s journey, highlighting her impact. There was no long caption from Griner, but the silent support was a powerful co-sign for the rapper-baller. She identified with Johnson, who says in the video, “If you’ve got a story, you’ve got to tell it.”

And the timing of it made it hit even harder. In LSU’s Sweet 16 clash against the Duke Blue Devils, it all came down to one final possession in under 3 seconds. And Ashlon Jackson of Duke created just enough space on the perimeter to let her shot fly at the buzzer to seal an 87-85 win. Johnson could only stand there with her hands on her head, trying to process it all.

“LSU has meant everything to me, it’s done everything for me,” she said after the game. “But right now I kind of feel like I let everybody down.”

Flau’jae Johnson was never just another player. She was one of Kim Mulkey’s first major recruits, who went on to become the face of LSU’s modern era. She became a symbol of what this program had grown into. An All-SEC Freshman, she powered the Tigers to a National Championship. Johnson continued to build herself into an icon with back-to-back SEC First Team honors. She is one of the finest talents to come out of LSU women’s basketball in recent years, and wanted to ensure LSU’s dominance with a win.

“I didn’t want to go out on a loss if I didn’t have to,” Johnson told ESPN last year about her decision to delay the draft. “I feel like I have more to prove. Why not go out as a champion?

However, in her final game, she struggled. Johnson was going just 1-for-7 in the first half, before settling in after the break to finish with 13 points, five rebounds, and four fouls. It wasn’t the ending she imagined, but this isn’t the end of her story. She remains a favorite to secure a top pick in the WNBA draft.

From March heartbreak, Flau’jae Johnson now heads to the WNBA

Despite the brutal end to her collegiate career, Flau’Jae Johnson’s body of work has her firmly in the mix heading into the WNBA Draft. Across most projections, Flau’jae Johnson is hovering around the middle of the first round. ESPN has Johnson projected to go No. 5 overall to the Chicago Sky. If that holds, it would set up a reunion with her former LSU teammate Angel Reese, creating a deadly duo in the league.

But her value goes beyond just where her name might be called. She’s a two-way guard who can score at all three levels, defend multiple positions, and bring a level of energy that doesn’t fade when the game gets physical. That’s what has kept her in the conversation for years and what still keeps scouts paying attention.

Even with an up-and-down finish in her final game, the bigger picture hasn’t changed. From crossing the 2,000-point mark to consistently being one of LSU’s most reliable pieces, Johnson has already built the kind of résumé teams look for. Now, it’s about which team is ready to bet on everything she already brings.