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Over in LSU women’s basketball, star senior Flau’jae Johnson got angry and denounced efforts for her school to honor late conservative figure Charlie Kirk. Johnson also turned off comments on her divisive post. Kirk’s assassination on September 10 was seen as a direct attack on free speech, prompting bipartisan calls for unity. The tragic shooting at Utah Valley University prompted many tributes from the sports world. But all along, Johnson wasn't on board with Kirk's tributes, viewing him as a racist figure. The discussion intensified when Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry shared a video calling for a statue of Kirk to be erected on LSU's campus, intended as a tribute to free speech. A vigil for Kirk was previously held at LSU. Johnson, 21, pushed back on X, questioning both Landry’s message and Kirk’s legacy. "For the sake of clarity, if you align yourself with or endorse his racist rhetoric and discriminatory views toward people of color," she wrote in a response to a follower. "I respectfully ask that you utilize the unfollow option at the top right of my profile." Some accused Johnson of stoking division. Many in Johnson's fan base applauded the LSU player's take. One critic replied, "You lost a fan tonight with all this race-baiting bulls***." For Johnson, one of college basketball’s most visible athletes, the decision to speak out unprompted came off as entitled and tone-deaf inside the broader discussion. According to On3, her NIL valuation sits at $1.5 million, with endorsement deals from Amazon, Puma, and Powerade. She also appeared in ESPN’s Full Court Press Season 2, released in May. Johnson's history of poor remarks includes backlash from 2023 when she posted herself singing lyrics, cracking 9/11 jokes. The LSU player eventually apologized. Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela
