“America has gravitated to her” - $1.2M NIL-valued Flau’jae Johnson credits Caitlin Clark for changing the face of women’s basketball

Flau’jae Johnson, a guard for the LSU Tigers, credited Caitlin Clark for the changes seen in women’s basketball this season on Thursday.

“Say what you want, but she a star. … America kinda has gravitated to her, and it’s only just pulling the women up more and more and more, so I love it. … It’s going to give more opportunities for women like me coming up,” Johnson said on “The Baller Alert Show.”

Like many, Flau’jae Johnson, who has an NIL value of $1.2 million (according to On3.com), recognized the impact that Caitlin Clark has had not only on the on-court performance of female basketball players but also on people’s perception of the sport.

The NCAA did not sponsor or recognize women’s basketball until 1982, and the sport has been seen by many as a completely different game to the male version, normally of a much lower quality.

However, Caitlin Clark has been able to change this. Now, women’s basketball is something that is much more similar to its male counterpart. It’s more physical and higher scoring, and the on-court product is becoming interesting for many fans to watch

But it’s not only on the court in which Clark has made an impact. Her success in becoming the highest-scoring player in college basketball history helped to bring eyes to women’s basketball. The strong performances of Clark, UConn’s Paige Bueckers and LSU’s Angel Reese, just to name a few, were instrumental in keeping fans engaged with something that they would not normally have watched.

This change in attitude was widely seen during the NCAA Tournament, where women’s games (especially those involving Caitlin Clark) routinely broke viewership records and outperformed the men’s games. In fact, for the first time, more people watched the women’s national championship game (which involved Clark) than watched the men’s title game.

The effect of Caitlin Clark is something that will only benefit players of the future, like Flau’jae Johnson, who can take the game to further heights.

Flau’jae Johnson in 2024-25: Without Angel Reese

For the last two seasons, Flau’jae Johnson has worked alongside LSU Tigers star Angel Reese while developing her game. Johnson won the SEC Freshman of the Year award and a national championship in her first year at LSU in 2022-23.

However, Johnson will now have to step up and fill the shoes of Angel Reese, as she was chosen by the Chicago Sky as the seventh pick of the WNBA draft.

But even without Reese, Johnson should be able to stand on her own and become the leader of a team that has high hopes for the future.

Her strong ability to make a difference when it matters was seen during this season’s NCAA Tournament, where Johnson was LSU’s leading scorer, with 24 points, in a 78-69 victory over UCLA in the Sweet 16.

If Flau’jae Johnson is to become the next college basketball star, she will need to perform like this regularly.

Do you think that Johnson will have the same impact on women’s college basketball that Caitlin Clark had?