nil: Kim Mulkey mentions $1.5M NIL-valued Flau’jae Johnson, Angel Reese and Olivia Dunne to talk about NIL deals

LSU Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey gave her two cents on the transfer portal, while also naming some LSU stars as ambassadors of what NIL stands for.

Mulkey, who led LSU to the 2023 national title, went on the "Get Gordon Presents" podcast and spoke about the current situation, giving examples of athletes who embody what Name, Image, and Likeness should be like in college sports.

"If you were going to write a description of what NIL was really supposed to be about, all you'd have to do is write her name (Flau'jae Johnson) next to it. All you'd have to do is write Angel Reese's name next to it. Livvy Dunne. They don't have a hand out on LSU on give me an exorbitant amount of money. NIL is go create your own brand," Kim Mulkey said (21:38)

According to Mulkey, athletes like $1.5 million NIL-worth Flau'jae Johnson (per On3) look to grow their personal brand through deals, instead of trying to cash in on what schools could pay them to join the team.

At least 1,400 women's college basketball players entered the transfer portal, according to Verbal Commits. That amounts to close to 30% of all women's college basketball players. On the men's side, the number is even higher, with over 40% of players entering the portal.

Besides her performance on the basketball court, Flau'jae Johnson has partnered with brands like Unrivaled, Apple Cash, Bazooka, and JBL Audio, among others. She is also a hip-hop performer.

Angel Reese played for Kim Mulkey on the Tigers' 2023 national championship squad and now plays for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA. Livvy Dunne is an LSU gymnast and social media personality.

How has the college basketball landscape has been impacted by NIL?

NIL deals have become a contentious topic in college sports to the point that President Donald Trump is reportedly signing an executive order to regulate it at the suggestion of former Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

In college basketball, their impact has been reflected in the transfer portal and NBA draft entries. While the transfer portal is at its highest level ever, the NBA draft had its lowest entry numbers in a decade, with only 16 players entering the draft, per ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Name, image, and likeness deals have also helped programs like the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team reload in the transfer portal. With the school's budget reportedly over $10 million, they were able to attract Denzel Aberdeen, Mouhamed Dioubate, Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Cam Williams.

About the author

Allan Wolburg Robles is a College Sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over 17 years of experience in the field writing for publications including Reforma, Yahoo! OddsShark and Apuesta. Allan studied Communications at Anáhuac University, where he learned what would become the basis of a trade that was already a dream of his before starting college.

His favorite team is Army West Point as when he was young, Allan lived in West Point for a couple of years, went to pretty much every home game, a couple of Army-Navy games and even got to meet some of the players.

Allan's favorite players of all time include Tommie Frazier, who was unbelievable during the Nebraska dynasty of the early 90's. Tim Tebow was also a favorite, mainly because of his leadership skills, although he was also awesome on the football field. As a fan of defensive football, (or what's left of it), Sean Taylor could take over a game for Miami.

Allan has always considered himself a student of the game more than a fan of it. So the historical part and evolution of the game, as well as the ins and outs of what happens on the field, and being able to put it into words for the audience, are his biggest strengths.

Besides sports, Allan enjoys reading books, watching movies and spending time with his dogs.

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Edited by Dipayan Moitra