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No. 3 seed LSU was eliminated from the 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament on Sunday with a 72-65 loss to UCLA, the No. 1 overall seed. The defeat came despite 28 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks from star guard Flau'jae Johnson.
After the game, Johnson said she was considering leaving school early to turn pro, but will have to weigh "everything" before she makes a final decision.
"I don't know," Johnson said in the locker room when asked about her future. ""Got to talk to Coach [Kim] Mulkey, talk to my family. I don't know."
Johnson just completed her junior season, but because she'll turn 22 in November, she is eligible to declare for the 2025 WNBA Draft. If she does go to the league, she would be a potential lottery pick after another strong season in Baton Rouge in which she averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 46.8/38.3/81.0 shooting splits.
Players are supposed to inform the WNBA of their draft decision within 48 hours of their team's final game, which would give Johnson a Tuesday afternoon deadline. As we wait to see whether Johnson will return for her senior season, let's go through some pros and cons of declaring for the 2025 draft.
Pro: Money
Johnson is already making good money. Per On3, her NIL deals are worth $1.5 million, which, of course, would be be significantly more than her 2025 WNBA rookie salary of $78,831 (assuming she's a lottery pick). It would be easy to suggest she should stay in school then, but as numerous WNBA players have pointed out in recent years, those NIL deals don't disappear once you turn pro.
Johnson has two million followers on Instagram, a budding music career and a major March Madness commercial with Powerade. Other brands she's worked with include JBL, MassMutual, Experian, Oreo and Samsung. She would still get those endorsement deals in the WNBA while also beginning to earn an actual salary.
Con: Money
There is a financial reason for Johnson to stay, but it has nothing to do with NIL money.
The WNBPA has announced its intention to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement at the end of the 2025 WNBA season. While the players have made it clear that their ongoing labor battle with the league is not only about raising salaries, that is a major aspect.
When the new CBA is in place at the start of the 2026 season, the rookie scale will likely start in the low-six figures range. If Johnson waits until 2026, she could start on the new rookie scale, but if she turns pro this year, she will be stuck on the current rookie scale for four years.
Over the course of her rookie deal, Johnson could easily leave $100,000-plus on the table by coming to the W in 2025 instead of 2026.
Pro: Competing against the best
On a July 11, 2024 episode of her podcast, Johnson discussed the idea of turning pro early.
"I'm trying to hoop. I'm trying to play the best of the best," Johnson said.
Going to the WNBA would give Johnson the chance to do just that. As competitive as the college level was this season, it's clear Johnson is a step above most of the players she's going against. She was First Team All-SEC and an AP Third Team All-American.
Would Johnson step into the WNBA and dominate? No, probably not. But could she compete at the pro level right now? Absolutely.
Con: Less time to develop physically
During the same episode of that podcast, Johnson's mother, Kia J. Brooks, was against her daughter going pro in 2025.
"I want you to get your weight up, I want you to get stronger," Brooks said. "Those are women out there, and I want you to be all the way a full-fledged woman before you go out there."
Johnson's talent and athleticism are definitely WNBA caliber, but there is a case to be made that another year of physical development and strength training would allow her to make an easier transition to the professional level.
Pro: Being able to focus on basketball full time
With every passing year, big time college basketball becomes more similar to the professional game, but there are still significant differences, particularly in regards to time management.
There are very specific limits on "countable athletically related activities," which may not exceed four hours per day or 20 hours per week during the season and eight hours per week during the offseason. Plus, there are academic demands on the players.
If Johnson declares for the 2025 draft, she would be able to focus on basketball full time.
Con: No more chances at her "own" national title
Johnson was a freshman when LSU won a national championship in 2023. While she was a starter and the Tigers' third-leading scorer, that was Angel Reese's team.
"I feel like that national championship I have, yeah, I was a big factor in it, but there were bigger factors," Johnson said Sunday after the loss to UCLA. "I want my own one, you know what I'm saying? Where I lead the team. That's what you really want."
If Johnson declares for the draft, she obviously would not be able to compete for a national title with LSU next season.
