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LSU women’s college basketball star and 2023 national champion Flau’jae Johnson will be forgoing the 2025 WNBA Draft and will remain in school for the upcoming season, according to multiple reports.
Johnson, a guard, will be staying in Baton Rouge under head coach Kim Mulkey in a move first reported by The Athletic.
She has one more year of eligibility remaining in college basketball and had to announce her decision to enter the draft on Monday.
However, due to LSU’s progression to the Elite Eight of the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball tournament, she was allowed 48 hours after her team’s elimination to make a decision.
LSU lost in the Elite Eight to No. 1 overall seed UCLA – giving Johnson until midnight on Tuesday to make a decision.
The Georgia native has spent her entire college career at LSU and all signs point to her staying there for next season.
LSU women’s basketball star Flau’jae Johnson will return for her senior year of college
Johnson has played in Baton Rouge under head coach Kim Mulkey for her entire career
If Johnson does indeed come back to LSU, she’ll be the leader on a team undergoing changes
Johnson will turn 22 later this year, which would have made her eligible for the WNBA Draft – despite not having completed four full college seasons.
This past season, Johnson was named to the All-SEC first-team and was also named a third-team All-American.
If Johnson does indeed return to play for the Tigers, she’ll be the No. 1 player on a team set to lose plenty of star power.
Forward Aneesah Morrow is off to the WNBA Draft, junior center Sa’Myah Smith is entering the transfer portal, and fellow backcourt companion Shayeann Day-Wilson is graduating.
That said, teammate Mikaylah Williams is set to return for a third season and LSU currently has the top recruiting class in the nation.
Her draft stock rose after a series of high-profile women’s college basketball stars announced that they would be forgoing the draft and returning to school.
Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles, projected to be the second overall pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, announced that she would be returning to college – but would be entering the transfer portal.
Additionally, UConn guard Azzi Fudd – a projected top-ten pick – announced that she would be returning to Connecticut for another season.
