Flau'jae Johnson shares nostalgic childhood snaps with mom, Kia Brooks, with heartfelt message: "She always saw something in me"

LSU Tigers guard Flau'jae Johnson is focused on ramping up her game this offseason. On April 23, Johnson announced through ESPN's Alexa Philippou that she is returning to Kim Mulkey's program in the 2025-26 season.

On Wednesday, the 21-year-old star uploaded nostalgic childhood snaps of her and her mother, Kia Brooks, on her Instagram account. Johnson also included a heartfelt message that speaks about the impact her mother has had on her life, both on and off the court.

"Remember When it was just me and you back in Savannah? My mama 👑…She always saw something in me, even when I couldn’t see it in myself, even when we had nothing. A light, a purpose like I was meant for more. Her belief in me? That’s what kept me going. That’s what I carry with me, every time I step on that court, every time I chase this dream," Johnson captioned.

"She’s my why. Always has been.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #RememberWhen," she continued.

Johnson is entering her fourth season with the Tigers. They were trounced out in back-to-back Sweet 16s of March Madness after she and her team had won the 2023 national championship in her freshman year. The 2024-25 LSU squad finished with an overall record of 31-6, 12-4 during SEC play earlier this year.

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Flau'jae Johnson's "why" is her mother, Kia Brooks

In a video posted by Bleacher Report on YouTube on March 30, 2024, Flau'jae Johnson spoke during the press conference of the Sweet 16 of that year's NCAA tournament. Johnson was visibly emotional and sobbing while speaking about her mother, Kia Brooks, as her "why" and what keeps her going.

"Before the game, I was crying. I'm just emotional. You know, I was trying to figure out like what's my why and I kind of just looked at my mom today like I never looked at her before and it was like, I know my why now, you know what I'm saying? And, I had just a different level of passion I knew I was going to play with today," Johnson shared. (0:00)

"And, I see my mom out there and she just sacrificed so much for me so, it's definitely my mom," she concluded.

Flau'jae Johnson is entering the 2024-25 season as an incoming fourth-year player coming off a 2024-25 campaign that saw her average 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks per contest for the LSU Tigers.