Flau'jae Johnson shares excitement after meeting Kyrie Irving, reveals training plans with Klay Thompson

Flau'jae Johnson may be regarded as a star in her own right but gets star-struck when she encounters some of her idols. Johnson shared her excitement at a recent meeting with an NBA star.

The LSU women's basketball star, in an episode of NFL legend Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast, talked about her career and meeting some of her favorite stars, like Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving. Asked about wanting to train with NBA players, Johnson revealed that she met Irving, who told her that he loved her music and basketball (9:46):

"Oh yes, oh my gosh — I met Kyrie Irving yesterday, and bro, it was so cool. I ain’t gonna lie — Vegas been lit. But he was like, 'You know, I really respect what you do. I love your raps. I love your basketball.' "And I was talking to one of his affiliates, and he was like, “Yeah, we gonna get you and Ky in the gym.” And I’m trying to act like I’m not tweaking out, but I’m like, “Okay, cool.” I’m like geeking," she said on the podcast, which was shared on YouTube on Wednesday.

Johnson also disclosed that she texted another Dallas NBA star, Klay Thompson, to schedule a training session with him (10:04):

"And then I texted Klay Thompson, because I’ve always been impressed with his balance and his footwork. I was like, 'You know, I would really love to just watch you work.' "You know what I’m saying? Sometimes you just want to see a person in their element. And I was like, 'I want to come watch you work.' He hit me back, and he was like, 'Yeah, when I get back to Dallas, we can definitely get some shots up.' So I’ve kind of been reaching out. But yeah, you know, he kind of busy now. I know, I know — when he gets back."

Meanwhile, Flau'jae Johnson has been busy making a name for herself in basketball. She won her first gold medal representing USA for the first time at the 2025 FIBA women's AmeriCup, in Santiago, Chile.

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Flau'jae Johnson speaks on NIL impact on her career

Flau'jae Johnson is rated one of the best players in women's college basketball. Johnson, who has been vocal about the WNBA not paying women players enough, spoke about Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) impact in her career.

"NIL, man, it is beautiful,” the LSU star said (per AP). “This year in March Madness, I had about five commercials running and you know it was so cool watching the game, then seeing myself come on. It’s just a great opportunity."

Flau'jae Johnson has an NIL valuation of $1.5 million, according to On3, which makes her one of the highest earning female student-athletes in college sports.

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Edited by Bhargav