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Friday wasn’t the first time Caitlin Clark has appeared in a rap lyric, but it was definitely the first time she got name-dropped by a performer she has faced multiple times in March Madness.
LSU star Flau’jae Johnson, who moonlights as a rapper on Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label, released her latest single this week, “Help Me,” via a video on TikTok. About midway through the song comes a lyric with a little extra meaning.
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“Double-C on my jacket like Caitlin Clark.”
Johnson and LSU famously faced Clark’s Iowa team in both the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournament, beating the Hawkeyes for the national championship in the first game then losing the Elite Eight and their back-to-back bid in the National Player of the Year’s revenge game.
Between those two games and the discourse that emerged from them, LSU became an unavoidable part of Clark’s story, and vice versa. That continued into the Indiana Fever star’s WNBA career, topping former LSU star Angel Reese for Rookie of the Year honors last season.
Flau’jae Johnson’s LSU team was a very loud 1-1 against Caitlin Clark. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
(Andy Lyons via Getty Images)
While that relationship has been contentious at times, with some fans clearly going over the line, Johnson has spoken respectfully of Clark. In an interview with Complex in March, she identified Clark as one of the toughest opponents she’s faced, along with Paige Bueckers, and praised her skills:
“I played Clark my freshman year and my sophomore year. I’m a junior, and so first year–freshman year–we got it. Second year, she got me. So me and Caitlin, we one and one right now. I got to wait until I get into the league to break that tie.
“She’s definitely the hardest opponent I’ve ever had to play. She was able to just facilitate. She’s like the best passer I think I’ve ever played against, ever in my life. Her and Georgia Amoore, they can really pass. I really respect the game, and I respect her skill. This is next level; it’s not even close.”
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So there is respect between players in a contentious rivalry, enough that Clark received a downright respectful mention in one of her opponent’s songs.
Meanwhile, Clark is preparing to follow up a successful rookie year, in which she broke the WNBA assist record, drew massive viewership and broke the league’s longest playoff drought. With the additions of veterans DeWanna Bonner, Sophie Cunningham and Natasha Howard over the offseason, the Fever have reinforced their roster enough that they currently have the WNBA’s third-best championship odds at +300, behind only the New York Liberty (+225) and Las Vegas Aces (+275).
