March Madness 2025 is bringing with it a new documentary to spotlight sophomores in the lead. And rightly so. One stands with a freshman scoring record (Juju Watkins), and another leads in steals (Hannah Hidalgo). Madison Bookers is rewriting assists records in UT, while Audi Crooks isn’t stopping with those career-high performances. While Flau’Jae Johnson is all in for the recognition, she isn’t here for the side-eyes—especially about her squad. Weeks after defiantly excluding Watkins from her “dream starting five” to back LSU teammates, the omission of a Tigers star in this spotlight felt like déjà vu.

Johnson retweeted the documentary’s promo with a pointed jab: “This MK exclusion is getting comical 😭😭😭.”  That’s right—she wasn’t feeling the fact that her LSU teammate Mikaylah Williams was left out. And considering her past takes, this reaction wasn’t out of nowhere.

The documentary— New Generation, premiering March 5, shows Watkins calling her class the “best in a long time,” while Hannah Hidalgo hypes their “new wave.” But for Johnson, the spotlight on sophomores left out LSU freshman Mikaylah “MK” Williams—a 5-star recruit averaging 17.5 PPG on the nation’s top-scoring offense. 

For Johnson, this hit closer home. 

She’s always backed Williams over other rising stars, making it clear she believes her LSU teammate belongs in every best of conversation. When she dropped her dream starting five, she didn’t include JuJu, Hidalgo, or even Paige Bueckers. Instead, she went all-in on her LSU squad, picking Aneesah Morrow, Sa’Myah Smith, Williams, and Shayeann Day-Wilson alongside herself. “I got the best starting five in the country,” she’d say. 

And deserving of the spot, Williams has been growing with the team. In SEC play, she’s been scoring more (17.2 to 18.0), assisting more  (1.9 to 3.4), and shooting better from the field (46.5% to 50%) and three-point range (38% to 39.2%). That’s every category better than Bookers in the conference. 

Even against an embarrassing loss to Alabama on February 27th, the sophomore guard led with 22 points and four assists. But she did miss a crucial three-pointer in the final seconds of the overtime, which left her visibly emotional. Not only did Flau’jae take the blame for the poor outing, going 2-for-12, she’s also step up to console Williams on the bench.

As the contest gets tough, you know Johnson is standing up for her squad every minute.

Flau’jae Johnson Shines Light on Mikaylah as LSU’s Unsung Hero

When people talk about LSU women’s basketball, the big names that come up are Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow. They’re the Tigers’ top scorers, grabbing the spotlight in big moments. But if you ask Johnson, another key player doesn’t get nearly enough credit—Mikaylah Williams.

“I don’t think [Williams] gets a lot of the praise she deserves,” Johnson said. “Me and Aneesah are big figures and lead in scoring, but she does so much more. She plays 1 through 4, and people don’t realize how important she is to our system.”

Even head coach Kim Mulkey sees the trend. She can’t understand why the media keeps overlooking Williams, especially when her stats prove her impact.

“She’s just a sophomore,” Mulkey said. “But why isn’t she in the conversation as one of the top sophomores? I get that Flau’Jae (Johnson) and Aneesah (Morrow) deserve attention, but the media won’t put all three on a list. The media always leaves her out. I don’t understand that.”

Williams has been quietly putting in work all season. She’s averaging 17.5 points while trailing Shayeann Day-Wilson in assists (3.2 per game). But beyond the numbers, she makes everything run smoothly. She plays multiple positions, sets up her teammates, and steps up on defense. And it’s paying off. The Tigers are 27-4, ranked No. 9 in the country, and gearing up for a strong postseason push.

She might not always be in the headlines, but if you ask Flau’Jae Johnson, there’s no doubt—Mikaylah Williams is one of LSU’s most valuable players. And come tournament time, people might finally start giving her the credit she deserves.