The Louisiana State University celebrated its first national championship in 2023, a triumph that coincided with Angel Reese’s arrival to the Lady Tigers, where she played a pivotal role in leading Kim Mulkey’s team to victory. However, after two standout seasons at LSU, Reese has now taken her talents to the professional ranks, leaving her alma mater in search of players to fill her significant shoes. Fortunately for Coach Mulkey, she doesn’t have to worry too much. While Flau’jae Johnson has already set her sights on stepping into Reese’s role, their newest recruit, ZaKiyah Johnson, shares that same ambition for the future.

Yesterday, the LSU Tigers welcomed another five-star recruit, ZaKiyah Johnson, to their roster for the class of 2025. Ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect, Johnson chose LSU over Louisville and Kentucky, both of which had been pursuing her for quite some time, especially since she hails from Louisville, Kentucky.

However, Johnson expressed her enthusiasm in an interview with 247 Sports, revealing that she felt a strong sense of home at LSU and established a great connection with Coach Kim Mulkey. What’s particularly exciting is that the rising star has ambitious plans for her future, aiming to take on a leadership role.

“I want to come in and have a leadership role. Basketball will handle itself but off the court. I want to be a vocal leader, I want to be able to lead without any words and show what a good basketball player and teammate looks like, I want to be a part of a sisterhood where I can learn from others and they can learn from me,” ZaKiyah Johnson told 247 sports.

The newest recruit for LSU averaged 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game last season. She has earned the title of Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky three times, along with three All-State selections and three Sweet 16 MVP awards. Johnson also guided her team to a 31-7 record and secured their fourth consecutive state championship last season.

With such impressive statistics, this Class of 2025 recruit has the potential to become a leader for LSU in the future. However, her ambitions suggest she may also be aiming to take on the same role as Angel Reese, a goal that another LSU junior, Flau’jae Johnson, is also pursuing.

Flau’jae Johnson aspires to be LSU’s leader this season

Flau’jae Johnson has played a crucial role for LSU over the past two seasons, consistently ranking among the team’s top three scorers. However, she hasn’t held the top spot, as that title belonged to Angel Reese, who led the scoring charts during her time in Baton Rouge. With Reese now out of the picture, Johnson finds herself in a prime position to step into that leading role, specially when she herself wants to claim that role.

Recently, the LSU guard launched a new episode of her podcast, discussing her aspirations for her junior year with the Tigers. She outlined her goals, “Four goals that I have for myself is to be consistent, to be a good defender, to get more in my bag, and to like leave my team um I think you know my role is different now and you know I have to be a leader and I have to be consistent in that so that’s what I’m really trying to do. I have high high high expectations from me.”

As the LSU guard expressed her ambition to take on a leadership role, head coach Kim Mulkey had often praised Angel Reese for this very quality during her time at LSU. “Angel’s leadership can best may be described as the word by how hard you play in practice,” stated Mulkey earlier this year.

The question of which Johnson—ZaKiyah or Flau’jae—will step up as the better leader for LSU is still up in the air. However, one thing is certain: adding a five-star talent like ZaKiyah is a huge boost for Kim Mulkey’s roster and significantly strengthens the team’s future prospects.