The name, image, and likeness (NIL) era in college athletics has started, and star player in women’s basketball Flau Jae Johnson is maximizing it. The guard had a great effort along with teammates Angel Reese and LaDazhia Williams as LSU upset the Iowa Hawkeyes 85-102 to earn the school’s first NCAA women’s basketball championship. The game was the most viewed women’s basketball game of all time with a record 9.9 million viewers.
Marvels like Johnson are quick to react and adjust to the situation because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s easing of restrictions and giving collegiate athletes the chance to commercialize their NIL and create a personal brand for themselves. This regulation has been changed for the first time since the NCAA’s founding.
How much are Flau Jae Johnson s NIL earnings worth?
Johnson’s social media has soared since winning the championship. With over 2.5 million followers across all platforms, she is one of the top ten most followed student-athletes, and, according to Forbes, she has already signed on with $2 million in endorsement deals.
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
She signed two lucrative contracts after LSU won the national championship. Her first deal is with the fast-food chain Raising Cane in Baton Rouge. Kim Mulkey, the head coach, and Alexis Morris were all seen with her while she worked as a crew member at the restaurant. Her second contract is with Campus Ink, a company that produces clothes and products and has created limited-edition LSU jerseys.
In the second arrangement, she will receive between $8 and $15 for each jersey sold, with the uniform going for $89.99, according to Campus Ink director Adam Cook. Outside of the court, Johnson is a rapper marketing a record deal with Jay-Z’s ROC Nation, which might lead to a partnership 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 pic.twitter.com/5jxvL3QGiz
Forbes (@Forbes) April 26, 2023
She explained in a Forbes interview why her mother forbade her from playing basketball.They would tell me, “No, you can’t play right now, not until you get bigger,” because I’m a girl, she explained.I used to be so angry.She was also shown in the film talking about how she started rhyming and how her father, Camouflage, a well-known rapper from the Georgia region, inspired her.
