LSU star Flaujae Johnson leads Bearded Dragon to final NCAA tournament of college career

Flau’jae Johnson’s career is notable not only for his on-court accomplishments but also for defying the transfer-heavy landscape of the modern NIL era in college sports.

More than four years ago, Johnson committed to LSU. Fast forward to 2026 and he never left the school where he first enrolled. His ties to the Southeastern Conference power run so deep that he buried his beloved mascot, a bearded dragon named Four in a nod to his jersey number, on the Baton Rouge campus.

On Friday, Johnson will take the court for the last time in a Tigers jersey as he concludes his prolific college basketball career.

But when LSU begins against 15th-seeded Jacksonville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Johnson’s other bearded dragon, Champ, will be with her, at least in spirit.

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Most of Johnson’s teammates would probably prefer to avoid the reptile. But LSU guard Izzy Besselman, a close friend of Johnson’s, was tricked into opening a basket she thought was empty but actually contained the bearded dragon.

Johnson is considering bringing Champ to the gym for practice sessions, noting that some of his teammates bring their dogs.

LSU STAR FLAU’JAE JOHNSON SAYS UNMATCHED LEAGUE ‘CHANGES THE GAME’ AS HE JOINS A NIL PARTNERSHIP

However, with his final career on the horizon, Johnson said he is embracing the challenge that awaits him, no matter how far LSU advances.

“March is always a good month,” he told reporters during the SEC Tournament. “I love March. The thing is, it’s when everyone is most focused and you just have to trust your work.”

Johnson, who is also a recording artist and signed to Roc Nation, has a morning routine that includes watching game film with her coach and doing workouts outside of team practices. Several brands have also partnered with Johnson and she takes the time to honor the commitments associated with those deals.

Besselman highlighted Johnson’s ability to bring out the best in his teammates.

“Seeing how hard he works motivates me and everyone else in this locker room,” Besselman told Yahoo Sports. “He’s a good person to look up to.”

Johnson coach Kim Mulkey is known for her “tough love” approach, a style that has produced results with three national titles at Baylor and another at LSU. Johnson said Mulkey helped her become a more efficient and ultimately better player.

“It might be easier to enter the transfer portal, go to a team with a terrible record and a 30-grade average,” Johnson said. “I could do that. I did it in high school. You know what I’m saying? College is not much different.

“But I want to play with All-Americans. I want to play with a tough coach who won championships. I want to play with people so I can learn to be efficient. I want to play in positions that are not favorable for me and still come out victorious. For me, it’s more important, I like to do things hard.”

Johnson is on track to compete in Unrivaled next year after signing an NIL deal with the women’s 3-on-3 league.

Mulkey said he believes Johnson is one of the best athletes to ever play at LSU in part because of her philanthropy, but also because of what she did for the program’s trajectory.

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“She took a chance on LSU when what did we have to sell?” Mulkey said senior night. “We just got here and she was the first McDonald’s All-American I signed at LSU. Flau’jae’s story is going to be all of those things I just mentioned, but the most important story of all to me is that she stayed four years at LSU and will graduate.

“When you think about college athletics now, people don’t do it anymore. And she loves LSU, and in return, LSU embraced her and loved her.”

LSU took second place in this year’s Division I women’s basketball tournament. The Tigers will play in the Sacramento regional.

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