LSU star Flau’jae Johnson signs stock deal with Unrivaled Basketball League

Flau’jae Johnson has a lot going on at the moment.

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 something that would advance women’s soccer,” Johnson told CNBC.

Unrivaled, which begins its first season in January, aims to provide female athletes another opportunity to play basketball during the WNBA offseason in the United States. Unrivaled not only aims to provide equal opportunities for players in the league, but also to offer the highest average salary in the history of the women’s professional sports league. In October, the Unrivaled signed a broadcast deal with TNT Sports.

“When I heard about the money, it was a big deal for me. … These women are getting what they deserve,” Johnson said.

NCAA rules prevent Johnson, a junior at Louisiana State University, from playing in the league until she turns pro. Unrivaled signed University of Connecticut star Paige Bueckers to a similar deal in August.

In addition to owning the league, Johnson will collaborate with Unrivaled on content throughout the season, and the league plans to support her music.

In just two years of playing college basketball, Johnson has won marketing gold.

She led LSU to the 2023 national championship and quickly became a top prospect for WNBA teams.

Off the field, 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.

She also has more than 3.5 million followers on her Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter accounts.

Brands have taken note. Johnson has signed contracts with companies from Metato Puma, Powerade, athlete’s foot and Amazon.

On Tuesday, she was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list, which estimated her net worth at $7 million.

She was also ranked No. 1 by On3 for having the highest name, image, and likeness (NIL) among female college basketball players.

Johnson said her mother is currently handling her finances and she doesn’t really treat herself, but she does spend a lot of money Chipotle.

“I’m trying to get the Chipotle deal so I don’t spend all my money on bowls,” she joked.

Despite all of her sports and extracurricular activities, Johnson says she still makes time to learn about the business, whether it’s by meeting with CEOs, watching YouTube videos or studying. She noted that she is currently reading “Investing 101” by Michele Cagan.

While the highest rookie salary in the WNBA is $76,535, Johnson said she hasn’t decided when she will enter the WNBA draft, but she isn’t worried about her brand fading.

“NIL is big, but it’s really just a gateway to the professionals,” she said. “The opportunities I get from college are still going to change, and it’s not like my followers are going to go away.”

When asked who she looks up to as a role model, Johnson says she looks to the king: LeBron James.

“He’s the ultimate businessman,” she said.

“The way he uses his business opportunities, the way he carries himself, and he has done so many things (like building a school) to help other people,” she added.

With so many different balls in the air, Johnson says it takes discipline, consistency and time management to fit it all in.

“I don’t like sitting at home and watching Netflix. … I like getting things done,” she said.