Flau’Jae Johnson Sends Parting Message After LSU’s NCAA Tournament Exit
After an Elite Eight exit in the 2023-34 college basketball season, Flau’Jae Johnson and the LSU Tigers were looking for a different ending this time around.
However, Lauren Betts and No. 1 overall seed UCLA Bruins proved to be too much, taking to No. 3 LSU 72-65 in the Elite Eight, ending their NCAA Tournament the same way.
Johnson was forced to miss the entire SEC Tournament after suffering a right shin injury on Feb. 27 against Alabama. The Tigers fell short of the conference championship without their junior guard, falling to Texas in the semifinal.
She was able to make her return for LSU’s first-round win against San Diego State, scoring a game-high 22 points.
After the tournament exit, Johnson had some parting comments on her experiences this year, calling them “beautiful.”
“I felt like this season I went through so much,” Johnson said. “I really like, overcame a lot… I feel like I became a better person. And I really became a leader. That’s who I am at heart, and I want to continue to be a better person… It’s a lot to be learned from this, but I just gained so much perspective from this year, and it was beautiful.”
Against UCLA, Johnson finished with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting, four rebounds and four assists. She now ends her third season with the Tigers.
UCLA, on the other hand, moves on to Tampa, Florida, where they will face the winner of No. 1 USC and No. 2 UConn in the Final Four.
