BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 9: Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Tigers in motion throughout a sport towards the Northwestern State Demons on the Pete Maravich Meeting Heart on November 9, 2024. in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Picture by Kristen Younger/LSU/Getty Photographs)
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Flau’jae Johnson has lots occurring proper now.
The 21-year-old basketball star, rapper, scholar and aspiring businesswoman simply signed her newest contract with the brand new 3-on-3 ladies’s basketball league Unmatched.
Phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed, however Johnson will obtain an fairness stake within the league.
“I wished to be concerned in one thing that pushes the ladies’s sport ahead,” Johnson informed CNBC.
Unmatched, which begins its inaugural season in January, goals to supply feminine athletes one other alternative to play basketball within the US throughout the WNBA offseason. Along with giving gamers a stake within the league, Unmatched goals to supply the highest average salary in women’s professional sports league historical past. In October, Unsurpassed signed a broadcast cope with TNT Sports.
“After I heard concerning the cash, that was massive for me … These ladies are getting what they deserve,” Johnson mentioned.
NCAA guidelines forestall Johnson, a junior at Louisiana State College, from committing to play within the league till she turns professional. Unmatched signed an identical cope with University of Connecticut star Paige Bookers in August.
Along with being an proprietor of the league, Johnson will collaborate with Unmatched on content material all through the season, and the league plans to help her music.
Star energy
In simply two years of enjoying faculty basketball, Johnson has develop into advertising gold.
She led LSU to the 2023 nationwide championship. and shortly grew to become a high prospect for WNBA groups.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 18: JBL ambassador, basketball participant and rapper Flau’jae Johnson lights up the stage at JBL FEST to have a good time the launch of the JBL PartyBox collection on Might 18, 2024. in New York. (Picture by Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Photographs for JBL)
Ilya S. Savenock | Getty Photographs Leisure | Getty Photographs
Off the courtroom, she isn’t solely marketable as an athlete, but additionally as a rapper. Johnson signed with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2021 and released a song with Lil Wayne in June.
She additionally has greater than 3.5 million followers on it Instagram, TikTok and Twitter accounts.
Manufacturers took discover. Johnson has signed offers with corporations from Metato Puma, Powerade, The Athlete’s Foot and Amazon.
On Tuesday, she did Forbes “30 under 30” list.which estimated her web value at $7 million.
It is usually ranked number one by On3 as having the very best title, picture and likeness, or NICOLA, ranking of feminine faculty basketball gamers.
Johnson mentioned her mother is dealing with her funds proper now, and she or he’s probably not splashing something, however she’s spending some huge cash in Chipotle.
“I am making an attempt to get this cope with Chipotle so I do not spend all my cash on bowls,” she joked.
Regardless of all his sports activities and extracurricular actions, Johnson mentioned he nonetheless makes time to study concerning the enterprise, whether or not it is assembly with CEOs, watching YouTube movies or learning, noting that he reads “Investing 101” by Michele Cagan proper now.
Though the highest wage for a rookie within the WNBA is $76,535, Johnson mentioned she has not but determined when she is going to enter the WNBA draft, however she isn’t frightened about decreasing her model.
“NIL is massive, however it’s actually only a gateway to the professionals,” she mentioned. “The alternatives I get from faculty are nonetheless going to develop, and it is not like my following goes to vanish.”
When requested who he seems to be as much as as a task mannequin, Johnson says he seems to be as much as the king: LeBron James.
“He’s the last word businessman,” she mentioned.
“The way in which he makes use of his enterprise alternatives, the best way he carries himself, and he is finished so many issues [like building a school] to assist different individuals,” she added.
With so many various balls within the air, Johnson mentioned it takes self-discipline, consistency and time administration to suit all of it in.
“I do not like sitting in the home and watching Netflix. … I prefer to get issues finished,” she mentioned.
