BATON ROUGE, LA – NOVEMBER 9: LSU Tigers No. 4 Frauge in action during a game against the Northwestern State Demons at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center on November 9, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.・Johnson. (Photo by Kristen Young/LSU/Getty Images)
Reagan Cotton/LSU | University Images | Getty Images
Flau’jae Johnson has a lot going on right now.
The 21-year-old star basketball player, rapper, student and aspiring businesswoman just signed her latest contract with the new women’s 3-on-3 basketball league Unrivaled.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Johnson will receive an equity stake in the league.
“I wanted to be involved in moving the women’s game forward,” Johnson told CNBC.
Unrivaled, which begins its first season in January, seeks to give female athletes another option to play basketball in the United States during the WNBA offseason. In addition to giving players equity within the league, Unrivaled aims to offer the highest average annual salary in the history of women’s professional sports leagues. In October, Unrivaled signed a broadcast deal with TNT Sports.
“When I heard about the money, that was huge for me. … They’re getting paid what they deserve,” Johnson said.
Per NCAA rules, Johnson, a junior at Louisiana State University, is prohibited from playing in the league until he turns professional. Unrivaled signed University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers to a similar deal in August.
In addition to being the league owner, Johnson will work with Unrivaled on content throughout the season, and the league will support her music.
star power
In just two years of playing college basketball, Johnson has developed into a marketing gold standard.
She led LSU to a national championship in 2023 and quickly became a top prospect for the WNBA team.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 18: JBL ambassador, basketball player and rapper Flau’jae Johnson lights up the stage at JBL FEST celebrating the launch of the JBL PartyBox series on May 18, 2024 in New York City . (Photo by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for JBL)
Ilya S. Savenok | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images
Off the court, she is marketable not only as an athlete but also as a rapper. Johnson signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2021 and released a song with Lil Wayne in June.
Her Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter accounts have over 3.5 million followers.
Brands are also paying attention. Mr. Johnson has signed contracts with the following companies: MetaPuma, Powerade, Athlete’s foot, and Amazon.
On Tuesday, she was named to Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30” list, and her net worth was estimated at $7 million.
She is also ranked #1 by On3 as having the highest Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rating among women’s college basketball players.
Johnson said her mother now manages the household finances, and although she doesn’t splurge, she does spend a lot of money on things. chipotle pepper.
“I’m trying to get a deal with Chipotle so I don’t spend all my money on bowls,” she joked.
Despite her commitment to sports and extracurricular activities, Johnson said she still takes time to learn about business, including meeting CEOs, watching YouTube videos, and studying.・He stated that he was reading “Investing 101” by John Kagan.
The WNBA’s maximum rookie salary is $76,535, but Johnson has not yet decided when he will enter the WNBA Draft, but said he is not worried about his brand diminishing.
“NIL is big, but it’s really just a gateway to becoming a professional,” she says. “The opportunities I had in college will continue, and my following is not going to go away.”
When asked who he looks up to as a role model, Johnson said he looks up to the King, LeBron James.
“He’s the ultimate businessman,” she said.
“The way he takes advantage of business opportunities, the way he carries himself, he’s accomplished so much.” [like building a school] “To help others,” she added.
With so many different balls flying around, Johnson said it takes discipline, consistency and time management to juggle everything.
“I don’t like to sit at home and watch Netflix. … I like to get things done,” she said.
