.png){kind=logo}
6 days ago
LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson has grown from an SEC All-Freshman Team member in 2023 to a bona fide WNBA prospect as a senior — but she says she’s not the only one who has improved over the last four years.
Her head coach, Hall of Famer Kim Mulkey, has gone viral numerous times in the past for her outrageous fashion on the sidelines, but Johnson, 22, had to admit her outfits have improved.
“It’s been much better this season,” she exclusively told Us Weekly as part of her partnership with Body Armor, which is now an official sponsor of the NCAA and March Madness. “She wore a questionable outfit recently at a game, but all the rest of them, I feel like she’s been really good.”
Johnson continued, “She’s understanding the swag, you know, she’s just cleaning it up a little bit. I think she got a stylist.”
2025 ESPY Awards Red Carpet Fashion: Simone Biles, Ciara, More Stun
Mulkey’s outfits have run the gamut from sparkles to feathers with every unusual pattern and vivid color in between. LSU even held a Dress Like Kim Mulkey promotion in 2025, encouraging fans to wear their favorite Mulkey outfit.
Martha Gottwald, who has designed Mulkey’s gameday looks in the past, summed it up by saying in a 2023 story for InRegister, “I always want to cause a reaction. And so does Kim.”
Kim Mulkey Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesJohnson’s relationship with Mulkey, 63, has only strengthened with time. In an era where NIL and the transfer portal rule the offseason landscape, Johnson has spent all four years in Baton Rouge, playing for someone she believes has pushed her on and off the court.
“She tries to get the best out of you and I think that’s probably the best thing that’s shaped me for the league,” Johnson said. “Just giving me a lot of tough love, but also allowing me to be who I am. She [has] allowed me to be myself in every way.”
WNBA Star Kate Martin Reveals If the Aces or Valkyries Have Better Style
That includes Johnson’s music. She is a rapper signed to Roc Nation who has released three albums via her Flauge Entertainment label. Adamant about continuing her musical career even into the WNBA, Johnson is thankful that Mulkey has let her continue her off-court pursuits.
“A lot of programs, when they recruited me, they were like, ‘Yeah, we’re going to let you do your music and all of that,’” Johnson recalled. “But she really supported it and she really understands the business of things because Coach Mulkey, she’s a coach and all that, but she’s also a businesswoman.”
“She really empowered me on and off the floor,” Johnson added. “So that’s something that when I get in a position or whatever I’m doing like her, I’m going to empower the next person because that really helped change my life.”
With the regular season winding down and Johnson with one more shot at March Madness, she knows the razor-thin margin between hoisting a championship trophy and going home with nothing. It’s about putting herself and her teammates in the best position possible to succeed. Fittingly, her campaign with Body Armor is all about making better choices to gain an edge.
WNBA Star Arike Ogunbowale Talks Style, Breaks Down 3 of Her Iconic Looks
“Everybody’s got a choice and I kind of live by that,” Johnson said. “I could choose to snooze my alarm or I could choose to get up.”
Johnson was already a Powerade partner, and both Powerade and Body Armor are Coca-Cola companies.
“We had a great partnership and I feel like it just evolved into Body Armor and it’s just natural for me,” she said. “It’s what I drink after I work out, it’s what I use for recovery and hydration. So to me it was a no-brainer.”
She added that Body Armor’s roster of athletes didn’t hurt, either.
“I was just seeing all of the amazing superstars that were already partnered with Body Armor,” Johnson continued. “Jalen Brunson, CeeDee Lamb, people that I really look up to, so I was like, ‘Wow, this is cool to be in that type of realm with those types of players and athletes.’”
