The college athletics name, image, and likeness (NIL) era has begun, and Flau’Jae Johnson, the women’s basketball standout, is making the most of it. The guard, along with teammates Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams, put up an outstanding effort as LSU defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 85-102 to win the school’s first NCAA women’s basketball title. The game got a record 9.9 million views, the most-watched women’s basketball game of all time.
With the U.S Supreme Court easing limits and granting collegiate athletes the opportunity to commercialize their NIL and build a personal brand for themselves, a regulation that has been amended for the first time since the NCAA’s founding, marvels like Johnson are fast to respond and adapt to the circumstances.
How much are Flau’Jae Johnson’s NIL earnings worth?
Since winning the championship, Johnson’s social media has reached new heights. She has been rated one of the top ten most followed student-athletes, with over 2.5 million followers across all platforms, and she has secured $2 million in sponsorship partnerships so far, according to Forbes.
That @Flaujae BIG 4 energy you get when you order extra Cane’s Sauce. @KimMulkey pic.twitter.com/riHmdOdOBu
— Raising Cane’s (@raisingcanes) April 5, 2023
Following LSU’s National Championship victory, she signed two big-money contracts. Her first contract is with Raising Cane, a Baton Rouge-based fast-food business. She was seen working as a crew member at the restaurant with Alexis Morris and head coach Kim Mulkey. Her second agreement is with Campus Ink, an apparel and product firm that has developed limited-edition LSU jerseys.
According to Campus Ink director Adam Cook, she will receive between $8 and $15 for every jersey sold as part of the second arrangement, with the uniform selling for $89.99. Off the court, Johnson is a rap artist who is promoting a record deal with Jay-Z’s ROC Nation that includes a possible collaboration with Lil Wayne.
Leaning On NIL Rights And Leveraging Her Personal Brand, LSU Basketball Star Flau’jae Johnson Has Brought In $2 Million In Brand Deals https://t.co/VbmnHecjED pic.twitter.com/5jxvL3QGiz
— Forbes (@Forbes) April 26, 2023
In an interview with Forbes, she stated why her mother was against her playing basketball. “I’m a girl, so they’d say, ‘No, you can’t play right now, not until you get bigger,'” she explained. “I used to get so mad.” She was also featured in the video discussing her rhyming path, claiming how she was motivated by her father’s heritage, who was also a prominent Georgia-area rapper known as “Camouflage.”
