LSU's Flau'jae Johnson tells Candace Parker how Kim Mulkey's “crazy” side helps her career: “She's going to say the most off-the-wall stuff”

LSU star Flau'jae Johnson is a rising college basketball star playing under legendary coach Kim Mulkey. During her freshman season under Mulkey at LSU, she won the national championship in 2023.

Since then, Johnson has excelled on the court and finished her sophomore year averaging 14.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game.

During her "Best of Both Worlds" podcast with Candace Parker, a three-time WNBA champion, on Thursday, Flau'jae Johnson discussed how Mulkey's high-intensity coaching style has improved her game.

"Talk about crazy," Flau'jae said. "Just the thing about coach [Mulkey], it's that mental battle of expecting every day you gonna come in and give a 110%." [Time Stamp - 20:34]

"Playing under coach Mul, my mental has gotten so strong," she added. "She's going to say the most off-the-wall stuff ever, so anything that happens on the court doesn't even really matter for real. I'm so much mentally stronger than I was — being able to be poised, being able to make mistakes and recover and still be efficient."

Johnson's role for the Lady Tigers' upcoming season will be even more important following the departures of Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith and Angelica Velez. She will begin her junior year and take on a more central and leadership role as LSU competes for its second national championship.

Flau'jae Johnson compares Kim Mulkey to Beyonce

With two years playing under Mulkey, Flau'jae Johnson has known the four-time national coach better than most.

"She’s misunderstood and she doesn’t care," Flau'jae told Us Weekly last month. "People have a lot of opinions. Most of them are wrong, though. I love Coach Mulkey. She’s a good person."

"I think people think she’s this villain ... She’s kinda like Beyonce. She just lets it flow. Whatever the opinion is, is what it is. She don’t really care to adjust it."

Flau'jae Johnson also featured Mulkey in one of her music videos, "Came Out A Beast." She released her debut album "Best of Both Worlds" earlier this summer. Johnson has been doing exceptionally well in both his basketball and rap career.

With the help of both disciplines, the Georgia native has made significant strides in NIL valuation. She matched UConn's Paige Bueckers to become the top female hooper in NIL rankings by On3, with a value of $1.4 million.