Name, image and likeness (NIL) process college sports has been a hot topic in many circles, and one of the arguments is whether going pro is attractive to student-athletes, given that they can now make good money in college.
LSU Tigers Women’s basketball star Flau’Jae Johnson knows all about these new opportunities for college athletes. According to On3, the second-year guard’s NIL valuation is $1.1 million, which is third highest among women in college sports and 16th overall. Only LSU gymnast Livvy Dunne ($3.5 million) and teammate Angel Reese ($1.7 million) are higher on the list.
Women’s college basketball has many stars, also including projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who is valued at $910,000. So, with the average salary in the league hovering around $147,000, some wonder if going pro is beneficial for these types of stars.
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Flau’jae Johnson, #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers, celebrates the victory against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt University Memorial Gymnasium on February 8, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Carly Mackler/Getty Images)
However, while finances are important to Johnson, she pointed out another area she would like to see improved from the WNBA by the time it is allowed to enter the draft, which would be two years from now.
“The conditions for gamers,” she told Fox News Digital while discussing her excitement for Powerade’s new “Walk Doesn’t Start in March” campaign as tournament season approaches. “You go to college and you’re treated like a pro. Then you go to the pros and you’re not treated like a professional. In that way, I’m saying the league can be better. I know that all the world will tell revenue., but it will take time for the game to get to where it’s supposed to get.
“I think the conditions for the players – living conditions, travel arrangements – are very important for the athlete. I was lucky enough to be at university during the NIL era, so I will be more than good to go to the league. But, yeah, it’s very important.”
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Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty recently spoke to Fox News Digital about the sacrifices WNBA players make each year, including having to play overseas during the offseason to make up for financial shortfalls in WNBA contracts .
As for the conditions Johnson mentioned, travel has been a major talking point in recent seasons when Liberty owner Joe Tsai, who also owns the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets, was fined $500,000. $ by the WNBA for providing charter flights to its team in 2022. This went against the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ union, as it indicates there could be a potential unfair competitive advantage over to franchises that couldn’t afford to hire charters.
As such, WNBA teams primarily fly commercial flights, which sometimes means entire days traveling across the country. However, as the new season approaches, the league has expanded its charter flight policy, allowing private flights for all playoff games and some regular season games.
Flau’jae Johnson, #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers, cuts a piece of the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 in the championship game of the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball tournament at American Airlines Center on April 2, 2023 in Dallas. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Players, however, will say it’s not enough, and players like Jones, Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces and many of the league’s other stars continue to fight for what other leagues offer players each season.
“I think shedding light on this will hopefully bring more of these conversations to the table and allow Caitlin Clark and Angel Rees to not have to do what we’re doing,” Jones told Fox News Digital.
“I think it’s great that they care about leaving things better than they found them,” Johnson said of current WNBA players wanting to change the league for future stars like her. “I think that’s the point of everything.”
In the meantime, Johnson will continue to leverage deals with brands like Powerade, the official hydration partner of March Madness, which also tapped USC men’s basketball star Isaiah Collier for its new campaign. Johnson emphasized how true the campaign title is because few people see the hard work that goes into the season before March Madness happens.
LSU Tigers women’s basketball player Flau’Jae Johnson holds up Powerade. (POWER)
“March definitely doesn’t start in March,” she said. “It’s a grind, but it’s just about being the best player you can be. You work every day. I don’t think people understand how much effort we put in every day to be the best. Even the work, no one sees it.”
“March Doesn’t Start in March” is the first March Madness campaign to feature NIL athletes, and it will be activated across multiple platforms, including a commercial that will debut on national television on March 17 during the broadcast of NCAA selection. More than 40 additional NIL athletes have also partnered with Powerade to provide more digital and social content for the campaign.
Johnson, who also focuses heavily on his other passion with his rap career, continues to balance what has become the daily lives of student-athletes in the NIL era. However, last season’s SEC Freshman of the Year wouldn’t want to change that.
Because at the end of the day, she is always focused on her impact on the field. Later, maybe it will be in the WNBA, but for now, she wants another championship.
Flau’jae Johnson, #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers, is introduced before a game against the Colorado Buffaloes during the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena on November 6, 2023 in Las Vegas. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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“When you have this taste, you don’t want anything else,” she said after LSU won the national title over Iowa last season. “For me, I don’t want to experience anything other than another championship. For me, anything else would be failure. That’s all I look at.”
