LSU Tigers don’t just play—they dominate. Sitting at 6th in the rankings, they bring a fire that never dims. Just look at their latest win over Missouri, where Flau’jae Johnson dropped 19 points to seal a 71-60 victory. The game’s evolving, but LSU’s hunger? That remains unchanged. LSU women’s basketball doesn’t just play hard—they live it. And if you need proof, just ask Flau’jae Johnson. On the latest episode of The Best of Both Worlds, the Tigers’ standout summed it up perfectly in 3-words.“They go hard.”
That’s not just talk. It’s the team’s DNA. From practices to game nights, LSU brings energy every time they step on the floor. “The warm-up is the warm-up is the warm-up,” Flau’jae said, keeping things light. But when the real work starts? There’s no let-up and this edge is why LSU remains on top. But the landscape of college basketball is quickly changing. NIL deals, the transfer portal—it’s a new era, and players have more control than ever. Not everyone loves it, but Coach G, who appeared on Flau’jae’s podcast, sees both sides.
But it‘s not all smooth sailing. Asked what the biggest challenge women’s basketball is facing is, Coach G didn‘t hesitate. “I think NIL plus the portal and how it works, I think it allows players an easy way out.” He believes players should have control over their careers but admitted it’s the pressure that puts it on coaches.
LSU player Flau’Jae Johnson is interviewed during SEC Media Day at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
But at the same time, he maintains his respect for what NIL means for athletes. “It gives y’all like the opportunity to control what y’all want to control.” More money? A fresh start somewhere else? Players now have real choices.
That said, that also means coaches have to adjust. “It forces us to have to adapt,” said Coach G. “It’s becoming less like college and a little bit more like professional sports.” Whether it’s good or bad depends on who you are asking. Still, at LSU, the mentality doesn’t change.
Coach G’s unexpected road to LSU
“I think a lot of times when you aren’t, like, one of the people that make it to the NBA… it’s hard, especially for me.” Coach G never had a game plan after coaching overseas. Hailing from a big family, he never found out what was next. But then his sister gave him an opportunity—she was coaching at a Division II school and called him up, asking if he wanted to be a grad assistant. He agreed, and overnight, coaching felt like second nature.
From there, he kept grinding. West Georgia, then Delta State, where he got a taste of real basketball history. Then came Vanderbilt—his big break. “Reap actually called me. And then Steph called me right after that, and they offered me a job… to Vanderbilt, which is kind of unheard of.” That’s where he got into serious recruiting.
But coaching isn’t always stable. COVID hit, and Vandy’s staff got wiped out. He landed at SMU for a year, but his next big move came in an unexpected way—an AAU tournament. “Daph was there… she had Moki with her, though.” That’s when he crossed paths with Kim Mulkey, and things started falling into place.
But now, at LSU, he is coaching one of the top programs in the nation. His life run was not perfect but stayed around the game, and he put in enough work to be exactly where he should be.
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