“Determining the value for NIL deals is something I take very seriously,” Flau’jae Johnson revealed about her NIL mindset earlier this year. While she was close to $1.2 million at the time, topping the charts, suddenly the University of Connecticut Huskies star Paige Bueckers edged past her to $1.4 million. And now after more than a month, Johnson has again extended her claim to the NIL throne, this time sharing it with Bueckers.

As per the latest update, Johnson’s NIL now reads $1.4 million and lands next to Bueckers who is also stationed at $1.4 million. While previously Johnson’s NIL value read $1.3 million, if ON3 is to be believed, it has witnessed a 102K growth in it. The LSU star occupies the second place among women’s college basketball players due to Bueckers sitting stop while the former is at 14th place in the NIL 100.

The 20-year-old has 3.7 million followers in total, with 2 million on Instagram and 1.6 million on TikTok. Similarly, she has 127K followers on X. All this has helped Johnson maintain an online clout which has certainly contributed to her growth. For leading ventures off-court, the Savannah-born was recently featured on The Money Game which is a six-part documentary from Amazon Prime that premiered on September 10, recounting the entire NCAA policy change with respect to the NIL and how that has shaped a string of a financial career for LSU athletes like Johnson. As for the latest NIL update, the reason for her growth is not known but fans estimate that it could have been due to the latest documentary release.

Meanwhile, Bueckers has been constant in her position as the number one NIL star. The Geno Auriemma mentee saw significant growth after she decided to continue playing for the Huskies instead of declaring for the WNBA 2024 draft. Post that she earned herself a spot in the Unrivaled- the new 3*3 league which is the brainchild of Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. To top that, UConn signed a deal with Madison Reed in August that included court naming rights and NIL deals. All this has contributed to Bueckers’ growth, a term that is not foreign to Johnson.

Flau’jae Johnson is consistently growing her NIL

It is no secret that the late rapper Camoflauge’s daughter decided to pursue a career in music when she was young. She for her skills also made an appearance in America’s Got Talent and The Rap Game. The NCAA Champion has since been giving her cent percent and releasing top-notch songs. One such EP was titled Best of Both Worlds, in which she collaborated with the famous rapper Lil Wayne. The track, released in June, was a sensation as soon as it hit the charts.

Paying tribute to former LSU stars like Shaquille O’Neal, Angel Reese, and Joe Burrow, it garnered immense fan following. Additionally, it was also featured on the NFL 2024 Songs of the Season which highlights music from emerging artists and superstars. After all the attention it got, the lyrical is said to be the main reason that Johnson’s NIL witnessed an increase.

And perhaps after the latest increase, Johnson would once again want to surprise the entertainment world by signing some noteworthy NIL deals. Maybe it is these prizes that have kept Johnson’s going who should soon overtake Bueckers.