The LSU Tigers deftly defeated the Duke Blue Devils 93-77 Thursday night, a win that was followed quickly by reports that Flau'jae Johnson and Duke's head coach Kara Lawson had some kind of problem or disagreement this summer during USA Basketball events.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey initially addressed the stories following the team's win. She told reporters after the game, "I was happy for Flau'jae. I was happy. You know, she didn't have a good experience at USA Basketball with Kara this summer. And so she's had this date circled around [the calendar], and you get nervous, right? You get nervous because you think she's gonna try to come in here and do too much. And I was proud of how she handled herself."
Mulkey didn't elaborate on what did or didn't happen between Johnson and Lawson, but she did later speak to LSU reporter Matthew Brune about the dynamic, and elaborated further on what might have gone wrong. "Let me say this. I recruited Kara Lawson back in my Louisiana Tech days. She went and played for Pat Summitt, she’s learned the game, and now she’s going to be the Olympic coach. She’s done a lot of wonderful things in her career. When you become a coach: USA Basketball, LSU, Duke, players aren’t always going to be happy and content," Mulkey said.
Kim Mulkey on Flau'Jae - Kara Lawson situation
— Matthew Brune (@MatthewBrune_) December 5, 2025
"Let me say this. I recruited Kara Lawson back in my Louisiana Tech days. She went and played for Pat Summitt, she’s learned the game, and now she’s going to be the Olympic coach. She’s done a lot of wonderful things in her career.…
She added: "And Flau’Jae lost a lot of confidence this summer playing with USA Basketball, and it’s my job when she gets back to campus to bring her back to where she can help LSU. I had a conversation with her many times this summer, had one before we came here, and I just winked at her and said: “Just be you. Do what you do for LSU. Don’t make it personal. Don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Just you and that purple uniform with those three letters speaks volumes.”
While some believe that LSU is making too big of a deal about something that appears to have largely happened in the past, others have pointed to Johnson's actual experience with USA Basketball this summer as evidence that her response to the Tigers' win is justified.
What happened Thursday night between Flau'jae Johnson and Kara Lawson
Things began to get chippy during Thursday's game between LSU and Duke. Johnson, who finished the game with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, made a point of making direct eye contact with Lawson after she hit a monster three-pointer during the fourth quarter. It was clear that Johnson was speaking to Lawson, who stood with a hand on her hip and didn't engage.
What happened during the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup in July
Johnson was part of the team that won the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup back in July, and Lawson served as the team's head coach. Johnson notably didn't get a lot of playing time during the tournament: she played 20 minutes in the quarter finals, but that time dropped dramatically to three minutes in the semi-finals and another three minutes in the finals. In fact, Johnson came off the bench to sub in for Vanderbilt sophomore Mikayla Blakes, Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, or TCU's Olivia Miles.