Women’s March Madness: Flau’jae Johnson will return to LSU, won’t declare for 2025 WNBA Draft, per report

LSU star Flau’jae Johnson has decided not to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft, according to The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant. Johnson will instead return for her senior season with the Tigers and attempt to improve on their back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. 

While Johnson is only a junior, she was eligible to declare for the draft because she will turn 22 in November. Domestic draft prospects must either be a graduating senior or turning 22 years old in the year in which the draft takes place. 

Following LSU’s loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Johnson said in the locker room that she was undecided on her future. 

“I don’t know,” Johnson said after scoring 28 points in the loss. “Got to talk to Coach [Kim] Mulkey, talk to my family. I don’t know.”

Johnson, who averaged 18.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, would have been a lottery pick if she turned pro, especially after Notre Dame’s Olivia Miles decided to forgo the draft and enter the transfer portal. However, there were several reasons for Johnson to remain in school and play out her senior season. 

Perhaps first and foremost, WNBA salaries are expected to rise significantly next season when a new collective bargaining agreement will be in place. The rookie year salary for 2025 lottery picks will be $78,831. Under the new CBA, there’s a chance that a 2026 lottery pick could make six figures in their rookie season. 

Staying in school for another year will help Johnson grow physically. She is extremely skilled and athletic, but could stand to get a bit stronger. While she could compete in the WNBA right now, another year of strength training would help her make a smoother transition to the professional level. 

Finally, Johnson had made it clear that she wanted another chance at a national championship. She was a freshman when LSU won in 2023, but that was not “her team.”

“I feel like that national championship I have, yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors,” Johnson said Sunday. “I want my own one, you know what I’m saying? Where I lead the team. That’s what you really want.”

Johnson’s return is great news for the Tigers, who have already lost a lot of talent in the last week. Star forward Aneesah Morrow is on her way to the WNBA, while Sa’Myah Smith and Last-Tear Poa have entered the transfer portal. If Johnson had left as well, that would have been a devastating blow to Kim Mulkey’s bunch. 

The Tigers will likely look to the portal for some additional talent, but with Johnson back in the fold alongside Mikaylah Williams, they’ll have one of the best backcourts in the country. Plus, they have the second-best recruiting class in the country, per 247 Sports. 

At the WNBA level, Johnson’s decision to return to school is a big blow to the Seattle Storm (No. 2 pick), Washington Mystics (Nos. 3, 4 and 6 picks) and Golden State Valkyries (No. 5 pick), who would have hoped that she could essentially replace Miles as a high-level backcourt option and prevent everyone else from being pushed up a spot.