Following a heart-breaking loss to Iowa on Monday in the women's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight, LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson took to social media with a message of resolve and gratitude.
Johnson wrote in a tweet Monday, âWe will be back, I will be better. Thank you all for the love đ thank you Jesus.â
The game itself was a high-stakes rematch of last year's women's national championship game, with No. 1 Iowa clashing against No. 3 LSU, resulting in a 94-87 victory for the Hawkeyes. It marked the end of the Tigers' quest to defend their title in Albany, New York, and served as a stage for some of the game's most formidable talents, including Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark.
Johnson led the scoring for LSU with 23 points, also contributing six rebounds, a steal and three blocks, per Amy Zimmer of WJCL22. Despite a first half that ended in a 45-45 deadlock, LSU's performance waned in the second, paralleled by a surge from Clark. Clark, a prodigy of college basketball and a projected first pick in the WNBA Draft, tied the NCAA Tournament record with 9 three-pointers, further cementing her legacy as the Division I career 3-point leader.
Kim Mulkey questioned why Flau'jae Johnson didn't guard Caitlin Clark
While last year's matchup saw Alexis Morris, now with the Harlem Globetrotters, take on the defensive task against Clark, this year's burden eventually fell to Johnson in the game's closing minutes. Hailey Van Lith, a transfer from Louisville to LSU, was assigned to Clark most of the game rather than Johnson, a strategic delay by LSU coach Kim Mulkey that was questioned by many.
âWhen I guarded her, she didn't score. I kind of wish I would've guarded her more,â Johnson said, as reported by Cory Diaz of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser. âI guess I'll see her in the pros or something like that.â
Mulkey's strategy, or the perceived lack thereof against a player of Clark's caliber, has sparked conversations. Mulkey described Clark as a âgenerational playerâ that makes it near impossible for any defensive scheme to contain her influence on the game.
Iowa's victory propels them into the Final Four, setting up a showdown with UConn on Friday. Before their appearance last season, the Hawkeyes had reached the national semifinals only once, in 1993, and in Clark's freshman year, they were defeated by the Huskies in the Sweet 16, per Doug Feinberg of the Associated Press.
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