Even after leaving the program, Flau’jae Johnson’s impact on LSU is still resulting in major announcements, with the latest one cementing her legacy in Baton Rouge forever.
Took a chance on #LSU and it paid off.
Flau’jae Johnson is going to forever be a legend in the city of Baton Rouge.
April 4th (4/4) will now be celebrated as Flau’jae “Big 4” Johnson Day. pic.twitter.com/cVhOrGJ02E
— Andre Champagne (@andrechampagnee) April 4, 2026
LSU Women’s Basketball Alumna, Flau’jae Johnson, was presented the Key to Baton Rouge by current Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Sid Edwards, on Saturday, April 4th. From now on, April 4 will be recognized in Baton Rouge as “Big 4 Day” in honor of Johnson and the legacy she has left behind. The No. 4 is a proud homage to her jersey.
One of the standouts to have made her way from the LSU ranks who won the national championship with the Tigers in the 2022-23 season, Flau’jae’s contribution to the team will never be forgotten, even though she has graduated from the program.
Flau’jae was quite the player, and her tireless efforts will forever be etched in Baton Rouge. The former SEC Freshman of the Year (2023), First team all-SEC (2025,2026), and second team ALL-SEC (2024) has always been one of Mulkey’s top performers. Despite having her run cut short, she finished her final season with a 14.2 ppg.
For the record, Johnson isn’t the first one from LSU to receive this honor; her former teammate Angel Reese also received the key to her city of Baltimore in 2023 after an exceptional year that culminated in a championship victory, in 2023 and now it’s Flau’jae’s turn.
The event also had the presence of city officials, family, friends, and Johnson’s coaches ahead of the presentation. They came in with their best wishes, shouting words of encouragement for Johnson.
This was followed by a photo session where Flau’jae posed for photos and signed autographs for fans in attendance. She even signed a motor vehicle belonging to a die-hard fan. Reflecting on her time here, she talked about her future commitment to the program, as well, now that she is a former Tiger herself.
“I’m an alumnus now, so I’m definitely going to support the Tigers any chance that I get,” said Johnson as she was escorted by law enforcement after the conclusion of the event.
Meanwhile, her mentor, Kim Mulkey, has been busy with some of her own transfer portal plans during the off-season.
Mulkey Makes Off-Season Plans To Spend Time With Family
As the basketball offseason dawns on Kim Mulkey, the LSU coach has made plans to delegate responsibility and spend time with her grandchildren. After crashing out against Duke, Mulkey’s priority has been taken up with two main tasks – family time and squad replenishment.
The NCAA transfer portal will now be used to its full effect to make the necessary additions.
“I’m not retiring. I plan to hire two coaches quickly. I plan to get in the portal and get two or three more players, and take a little time off, go see my grandchildren, who actually flew in and got in late and didn’t even see the game. But I’ll get to visit with them tonight in the hotel,” Mulkey had said after her loss against Duke.
“But there is no retiring. I think that’s used a lot in recruiting. I think as we get older, as coaches, we want to say how much longer is she going to be in the game? I’m going to be in this game unless LSU fires me, okay, until I can’t put a product on that floor that’s competitive or my health fails me,” further added Mulkey on what her future goals are at the moment.
After getting ousted by Duke in a game where a two-point margin proved to be lethal for LSU, Kim’s focus would now be to rejuvenate the squad. As Flau’jae Johnson is already on her way out, eligible for the draft, Amina Joyner is also about to make her exit, and Divine Bourrage, possibly not returning, reshuffling the squad is imperative.
Gaining possible valued substitutions would now help to fill those gaps, and that is why the transfer portal is key. Use the openings to the fullest advantage to make the necessary upgrades that the team needs.
Mulkey, 63, is not too old to carry on either and can easily guide the Tigers for the next two decades if she wants. But it always helps to have the right staff who can aid you when you are not there with the team.
Mulkey had even found the right guy for the job in assistant coach Gabe Lazo, but after merely four days on the squad, he left to take up a head coaching role with the UCF Knights. As such, the search goes on for new assistants and also players who will one day take up the place that players like Flau’jae Johnson have left. Some big shoes to fill for any new player, and so the work starts now.
