“You suck.” Those were the blunt words Kim Mulkey had for Flau’Jae Johnson earlier this season—a tough-love wake-up call from a coach who demands the best. But as LSU battled past NC State, 80-73, in the Sweet 16, Johnson’s struggles resurfaced at the worst possible time. She shot just 1-of-8 in 30 minutes, managing only three points—eerily mirroring her February 28 slump against Alabama. The numbers were alarming, but what Mulkey revealed after the game was even more concerning.

Johnson had already been dealing with shin splints, which had limited her in previous games. However, after the Sweet 16 win, Mulkey provided another unexpected update regarding her availability moving forward. According to LSU women’s basketball reporter Cory Diaz, when asked whether Johnson’s status was in jeopardy, Mulkey explained:

“I haven’t been told she can’t play. I didn’t see it. I don’t know if she got poked in the eye, hit in the—I don’t know. I just know I was getting ready to put her back in the game, and I turned around, and they said they won’t let her go back in the game because she’s seeing double, like double vision a little bit. So we just went with Miracle [Sheppard] defensively and KG [Kailyn Gilbert] offensively. But I haven’t asked. They haven’t come up to me, you know, all worried or anything like that. So, yeah, I anticipate she will be good to go.”

The uncertainty surrounding Johnson’s health adds another layer of concern as LSU prepares for its next matchup. Though the Tigers found a way to close out NC State, Johnson’s struggles were evident, raising questions about how effective she can be moving forward.

LSU had to dig deep late in the game, trailing by five with under five minutes remaining. A dominant 12-2 run down the stretch sealed their third straight trip to the Elite Eight. Coach Mulkey acknowledged how meaningful the moment was, especially for some of the newer players experiencing it for the first time.

“I think there’s five in our locker room that have never been to a Sweet 16,” Mulkey said, according to the LSU website referencing Kailyn Gilbert, Miracle Sheppard, Shayeann Day-Wilson, Jersey Wolfenbarger, and Jada Richard. “So they certainly haven’t been to an Elite 8, and that’s what excites you as a coach, is having players experience something for the first time. And you don’t take it for granted. You just don’t. We made plays down the stretch. We made some bad plays down the stretch, but we made plays down the stretch to pull it out and win, and it means we did some good stuff.”

LSU’s late-game resilience was fueled by Aneesah Morrow, who put up an incredible 30 points, 19 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Sa’Myah Smith contributed 21 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals, while Mikaylah Williams added 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.

“Nobody likes to lose, so I talked to my teammates in the huddle, and I told them we got to take our matchups personally,” Morrow said. “We have to be able to dominate and we have to be able to make defensive stops, and we did that towards the end of the game.”

The battle with NC State was a back-and-forth affair. LSU built an early double-digit lead before the Wolfpack clawed back to take a four-point lead into halftime. The game remained tight in the third quarter, with neither team gaining much separation. In the fourth, NC State briefly took control, but Williams scored six straight points to keep LSU within striking distance. A clutch defensive stop by Gilbert, leading to a fast-break bucket, helped put the game out of reach.

“She had me beat on that play, and I just saw that she brought the ball in front of me a little bit, so I went up and got it and then chased it down, and pushed the ball up,” Gilbert said.

Now, LSU turns its attention to their Elite Eight matchup against the winner of UCLA and Ole Miss. But all eyes will be on Flau’Jae Johnson. Will she bounce back from her recent struggles, linger?

Flau’Jae Johnson: From podcast debates to March Madness reality—Can she lock in?

Now, the spotlight isn’t just on the game—it’s on the conversation surrounding it. Flau’Jae Johnson is never one to hold back, whether she’s lighting up the court or stirring debates on a podcast. She’s built a reputation for speaking her mind, thriving in hypothetical matchups and bold takes. But as LSU marches deeper into the NCAA Tournament, the question looms: Is it time to trade the hot mic for a sharper focus on the hardwood?

Take Paul George, for example. The Philadelphia 76ers’ star recently announced he was putting his podcast, Podcast P, on hold to concentrate on his game as his team fights to salvage its season. “I’m locking in,” George said. “I’m cutting social media out… I recorded a lot of podcasts, so I can really just focus on basketball.”

Johnson, who missed the SEC Tournament due to injury, returned strong in the NCAA Tournament’s early rounds, dropping 22 points against SD State and 13 against Florida State. But in LSU’s Sweet 16 battle against NC State, her performance told a different story. Johnson went just 1-of-8 from the field, including 0-of-1 from three.

Ironically, just days earlier on a podcast episode, she had debated a hypothetical: Would she rather play a game where only free throws counted or one that relied solely on three-pointers? “Free throws? No, that’s terrible. Nobody would want to watch that,” she said confidently. “I’d take threes. I’d go Steph Curry. I’d go half-court, sidestep—playing like James Harden.”

Against NC State, however, those shots didn’t fall. Now, the question remains—will Johnson silence the outside noise and let her game do the talking?