When Flau'jae Johnson broke down in tears, admitting wholesome realization about her mom: “I’m just emotional"

LSU star Flau'jae Johnson opted out of declaring for the 2025 WNBA draft despite being eligible. Instead, she will return for an extra season of college basketball in Baton Rouge. Johnson revealed in April that her mother and agent, Kia Brooks, has always helped her with decisions regarding her career.

During a news conference at last year's March Madness, an emotional Johnson admitted that she got her motivation from her mother.

"I'm gonna get emotional," Johnson said on March 31, 2024 (0:15). "Before the game I was crying. I'm just emotional. I was trying to figure out my why and I kind of just looked at my mum 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 gonna play with today. And I see my mum out there and she just sacrificed so much for me. So, it's definitely my mom."

Flau'jae Johnson is close to her mother

Kia Brooks raised Flau'jae Johnson as a single parent after her father, rapper Camoflauge, was shot and killed before she was born. Her mother also supported her budding music career before she joined the LSU Tigers and became a NIL magnet in college basketball.

Brooks worked in a dentist's office before managing Johnson's career. She has signed numerous deal, including with Jay Z's Roc Nation label in 2020, and collaborating on various songs with renowned musicians like Lil Wayne and NLE Choppa.

During an interview with Essence in May 2023, Johnson broke down her mother's role in managing her music and basketball career.

“Me and my mom built a lot of trust, and so she really makes a lot of decisions on my behalf because we built up that trust, and she knows what I want to do, she knows what I’m not going to do,” Johnson said.

"With my mother’s help, I just want to be a successful artist. I want to win a lot of Grammys. I want to keep playing basketball for as long as I can, win a lot more championships.”

Johnson has become one of the most recognizable student-athletes in the country, with a NIL valuation of $1.5 million (according to On3). She tops the women's college basketball ladder due to her extensive endorsements with brands like JBL, Puma and Amazon, among others.