As their title defense season approaches, LSU has locked down their head coach. The LSU Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a 10-year, $32 million contract for Mulkey, which will set the mark as the richest contract in the history of collegiate women’s basketball. Prior to his contract, Mulkey was already one of the top-paid coaches in the game, alongside the likes of Geno Auriemma (UConn) and Dawn Staley (South Carolina).
Mulkey came to LSU ahead of the 2021-22 season after spending the last two decades turning Baylor into a national powerhouse. However, 2022-23 was her statement year with the Tigers, using the portal to create a super team that would go on to win the school’s first National Championship. With her new contract in place, Mulkey will be free to continue building LSU into a true dynasty, even after the departure of superstar Angel Reese.
Mulkey leads another superteam heading into the school’s title defense campaign. LSU stands as far and away the best roster in women’s basketball heading into the 2023-24 season. The addition of Hailey Van Lith raised them above UConn to the #1 spot on ESPN‘s “Way Too Early Top 25” back in April. However, the addition of Aneesah Morrow made that ranking unarguable. Alongside Reese, Van Lith, Morrow, Kim Mulkey’s squad is stacked. Alongside sophomore-to-be Flau’jae Johnson, LSU welcomes two top-10 freshmen to Baton Rogue in the fall. With South Carolina rebuilding after the loss of their generational class, this may be the year LSU wins the SEC. LSU last won the SEC regular-season championship in 2008 but has not claimed the tournament title since 2003.
LSU recently revealed that they will open their season against Colorado in Vegas on November 6. Other highlights of their non-conference schedule include Virginia and Virginia Tech. While it’s not as much of a cupcake schedule as last season, Mulkey is still clearly avoiding any true coin-toss matchups before the start of SEC play in January. Despite this, DraftKings lists LSU at +350 as their favorite to win the 2024 National Championship. Do you agree? Let us know your predictions for the 2023-24 women’s basketball season in the comments.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, LSU basketball superstar Angel Reese spoke on how her newfound fame is impacting her education. According to Reese, her celebrity status means that is no longer safe or practical for her to attend classes in person. Instead, she has been relegated to attending remotely or taking purely online classes. “I didn’t think I was going to be on Shade Room every time I post something. I don’t feel like I’m a celebrity, but I think a lot of people look at me as a celebrity now because of the impact I’ve had on not just women’s basketball, but sports in general, and Black women. Things have changed for me.”
However, Reese lamented the change to her schedule, stating that “School’s first, basketball’s next.” Despite this, she also confirmed that her intention was to play in the WNBA. Reese will be eligible for the 2024 Draft and is widely considered to be the #2 pick behind Caitlin Clark. But all this is in service of her family. “My mom is my rock,” Reese added. “Everything I do is just for her and my brother.”
BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 18: LSU basketball star Angel Reese waves to the fans before throwing out the first pitch at a baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 18, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Reese is not the only LSU athlete who has been forced away from physically attending class. Gymnast and social media star Olivia Dunne also recently revealed that she can no longer attend her classes in person. According to a July interview with Elle, Dunne cited “safety reasons” as why she can no longer attend in person. “There were some scares in the past, and I just want to be as careful as possible. I don’t want people to know my daily schedule and where I am,” Dunne said. Rowdy fans and misogynist trolls make it easy to see why LSU now employs private security for the gymnastics team. “I just want to coach. I don’t want to have my head on a swivel worried about if somebody is coming out of the stands,” Head Coach Jay Clark told Elle.
College athletes find themselves in a spotlight never before seen. Social media can turn them into a figure watched by millions. Meanwhile, the ability to now earn money in college through NIL deals now also makes them publicly seen brand figures. However, you can’t help but feel for these athletes as their fame and commitments reduces the scope of the “college” aspect of being a “college athlete”.
Sports betting is a major issue in 2023. As more states legalize the practice, the adverse effects are becoming more and more clear. Earlier this week, seven current and former players at Iowa and Iowa State were criminally charged in relation to sports betting violations. This includes Hunter Drekkers, Iowa State’s projected QB1 for the 2023 season. The Iowa Racing and Gambling Commission has stated that they do not believe any match-fixing occurred. However, the scope of the investigation is huge. The seven athletes are believed to have placed more than 5000 wagers totaling more than $100,000 between January 2021 and May 2023.
The effects of this massive scandal are being felt 800 miles in Louisiana. While no players from LSU have been implicated in the scandal, football coach Brian Kelly is worried about the impact of sports betting. “I’m not saying that happened. I’m not saying that would happen,” Kelly said. “I think it’s better to be proactive in those situations and take away even the temptation to even have that in this building and not be that next school that goes down that path.” Kelly’s announcement concerned a hypothetical situation where sports bettors harassed team staff for inside information. Furthermore, Kelly is implementing a new protocol to keep his team safe.
LSU Amends Injury Protocol
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JULY 17: Head Coach Brian Kelly of the LSU Tigers speaks during Day 1 of 2023 SEC Media Days at Grand Hyatt Nashville on July 17, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
To minimize the information available to sports bettors, LSU is introducing a new injury reporting protocol in 2023. Team injuries will be reported twice a week in a system that is more similar to that of the NFL. “I thought it was important given the nature of what’s going on today out there relative to reporting and gaming,” Kelly said. “We wanted to make sure that we were transparent with injuries. Not putting any pressure on anybody here to guess who’s in, who’s out” for a given game. When we get to Saturday, if somebody is doubtful, we’ll give you ‘available,’ or ‘unavailable,’” Kelly said.
This new policy also comes alongside new team rules. LSU will mandate that no staff or players have gambling apps installed on their phones. “There shouldn’t be any of those (apps) on any of our players’ phones or anyone in this building,” Kelly said. Furthermore, Kelly dismissed the idea that he was sacrificing a tactical advantage by being more open about his team’s injuries. “I can’t tell you how many times we didn’t know a particular quarterback was playing. You’ve got to adjust on the fly,” Kelly said. “I don’t want it to be a situation where it causes something to the point where somebody loses their job or somebody loses eligibility,” Kelly added. “I mean, that’s a bigger issue than, well, we got a tactical advantage today because we found out he was playing.”
“I just had chills going through my body,” NCAA National Champion and Roc Nation artist Flau’Jae Johnson said of the moment Louisiana State University won as her song “Big 4” blasted throughout the American Airlines Center with confetti dancing in the air while The Tigers celebrated a historic win.
When the LSU women’s basketball team devastated No. 2 Iowa in the National Championship 102-85 in April, it marked the first time the women’s basketball team ever won a national championship.
Are you gonna rap or be a athlete if I’m still doing both why you asking meee ??!!4⃣4⃣4⃣4⃣pic.twitter.com/YuU57AA4mi
“The fact that I’m being recognized for my music as well as my basketball at the highest level, that was a breathtaking moment for me. Both of my lives crossed over how I wanted it to. It was an amazing feeling,” the young guard told Uproxx over the phone. “It felt like a movie.”
The song and moment magically aligned perfectly. “August of last year I recorded that,” she told me about the making of “Big 4.”
“We was in weight training with my team and we always played music on the aux, and my teammate LaDazhia [Williams] played this song and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I was like, “I’mma use this and I’mma rap on it.’ It just came out the way it came. I kept hearing the beat in my head and I didn’t know what it was. Once I figured out what it was, I asked LaDazhia, I’m like, what song is that? I remixed and then I made it my song.”
The 19-year-old Savannah, Georgia student-rapper-athlete credits consistency for her ability to tap into both talents successfully like a real-life Hannah Montana. “I’m a basketball player doing something that’s never been done before,” she told me.
Daughter of Jason “Camoflauge” Johnson, known for his song “Cut Friends” who passed away before she was born in 2003, Flau’jae is merely carrying the torch. Her drive and passion for basketball and music are unmatched.
“I’ve been playing basketball ever since I could walk. So, I’ve been hooping for a long time,” she said of her beginnings. “At a young age I just loved music. At six or seven, I started freestyling in the car and rapping for my mom. I always had an ear for music. Even when I didn’t really know what I was saying.”
On the court, she wears the number 4, which she revealed holds sentimental meaning. “[James] Murdock, who was a huge basketball player in Savannah, got killed and he used to hang around my father. He’s real known in Savannah and he’s hardest player to wear four,” she explained. “So, I was always four and I wear four for Murdock. Rest in peace to him.”
With so much going on in the city of Savannah, Flau’jae’s focus is something like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s — it cannot be broken.
Her basketball and rap interests are fueled by the same thing: “To want to be great,” the rising talent shared. “Wanting to be good at my craft, wanting to excel, wanting to be the best version of myself. That’s the best part. That’s what fuels everything I do. Just wanting to be the best.”
Being a college student-athlete as a freshman at a school like Louisiana State University on the women’s basketball team comes with all kinds of pressure. Pressure from not only the school but from LSU fans across the globe expecting their favorite team to show up with nothing less than a win. I had to ask her the secret to maintaining a smooth state of flow between basketball practices and going to the studio.
“Just being consistent,” she answered. “When I feel like I’m pushing on everything and I’m doing it the right way and I got a schedule lined up, that’s the best way for me to be successful in both areas. Being consistent in that makes everything on track. Me being able to create music when I’m feeling the best way is when I’m being consistent with basketball, music, working out, going to the studio. And, I’m actually doing my big one.”
Flau’jae’s “Big 4” isn’t the only song that’s catching a lot of attention, she also recently remixed Hot 100 hit “Put It On Da Floor” by fellow The Rap Game alum Latto into her own freestyle titled “Clickbait.”
“She told me that she really liked the remix that I did,” she revealed. “She wanted me to get in the video. Hopefully we can make that happen. Latto shows big love.”
Meanwhile, the video for Latto’s official “Put It On Da Floor Again” remix with Cardi B happens to feature a cameo from her teammate Angel Reese thanks to Cardi’s line “I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU.” She and Reese also made a special appearance in NLE Choppa’s heartwarming music video for “Champions.”
On top of that, Flau’jae’s business-savvy partnership with Roc Nation is evidence that her formula is working.
“I own everything. I own my masters. I got creative control. That’s what I wanted. A deal where I could be in control and be able to write the narrative of how I wanted to, for my story. They understood the vision of me. A lot of people didn’t understand the vision of me being a rapper and an artist and being in college. Roc Nation understood it. They really seen what I could be in the future. I appreciate them.”
Ahead of Flau’jae’s second year as an LSU basketball player, she plans to unleash a collection of songs for an official EP.
“I got my project Basketball World dropping this summer, ‘Big 4 Anthem,’ my song with 2Rare going to drop after that. The music I got out right now, we got ‘Clickbait’ going stupid right now. I’m super excited, man. Stay tapped in.”
Latto dropped the video to her remix of “Put It On Da Floor” (“Put It On Da Floor Again”) late on June 1. The remix features Cardi B and features the pair running riot in a grocery store. Also featured in the remix, in a brief cameo, is LSU superstar Angel Reese. Reese is college basketball’s it girl right now, shooting to national prominence after a standout 2022-23 campaign. Furthermore, Reese also recently linked up with Karl-Anthony Towns for a new commercial to air during the NBA Finals.
Worlds further collided thanks to one of Cardi B’s lines in the song. At one point in her verse, Cardi drops the bar, “I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU.” The music video is currently #3 on YouTube’s music trending page. However, it’s not the only LSU connection to “Put It On Da Floor” in recent weeks. Star freshman Flau’jae Johnson was forced to apologize after adding a 9/11 reference to her own freestyle remix.
Following the release of the music video, LSU was quick to respond to the shoutout. “ok @iamcardib we’re ready for you,” the account for the women’s basketball team tweeted out. They included an image of Cardi B in an LSU jersey and an insert of her tweet shouting out her shout-out. After the video dropped, Cardi had tweeted “I BEEN BALLIN SO DEUM HARD COULD OF BEEN TO LSUUUU !!!!!!!” in response to someone pointing out the Reese cameo.
If Cardi accepts, she would be the latest in a long line of stars to link up with the team. Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Ja Morant have all been seen with various members of the team. Furthermore, Cardi’s 5″3 frame wouldn’t prevent her from shooting some hoops in Baton Rogue. According to the NCAA, there was one 5″2 player (McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State) and two 5″4 players (Addie Porter, Chattanooga, and Lauren Park-Lane, Seton Hall) last season. If Cardi does accept the invite, you know we’ll have all the details here at HotNewHipHop.
If Cardi B ever decides to try basketball in addition to wedding planning, sushi cheffing, and football training, it looks like she’s already got a roster spot thanks to her verse on Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” remix. The Louisana State University Women’s Basketball Twitter account responded to Cardi’s lyrical shout-out in the song (“I been ballin’ so damn hard, could’ve went to LSU”), writing, “ok @iamcardib we’re ready for you,” and including a photo of Cardi in a Tigers jersey. It’s incredible:
The appreciation certainly appeared to go both ways. LSU’s star forward Angel Reese makes a cameo appearance in the video for “Put It On Da Floor Again,” thanks to her impressive performance in the NCAA National Championship — both on and off the court — on the way to LSU becoming the NCAA Champions. Reese became a star after drawing criticism and acclaim for performing the Tony Yayo/John Cena “You can’t see me” gesture at rival Caitlin Clark, mimicking Clark doing it herself just a few games before. The instantly viral moment sparked a slew of discussions from the inane (“sportsmanship!”) to the vital (“Why is the media only lavishing attention on the white girl amidst this historic run by LSU?”)
The only way any of this gets any cooler is if Latto and Cardi do another remix, this time with Reese’s LSU teammate Flau’jae Johnson, who has already been invited to rap with Lil Wayne. Cardi, Latto, if you see this: Make it happen. For me. Please.
Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The day many thought might not happen finally arrived. There was always some doubt that LSU’s visit to the White House might not go ahead. Angel Reese, the team star and unofficial leader, very publicly beefed with the White House after comments made by Dr. Jill Biden. Reese went as far as to joke about visiting the Obamas instead before confirming that she would respect the team’s decision to visit the White House.
The first sports teams to be invited to the White House were two amateur baseball teams in 1865. It quickly became a tradition amongst professional teams. In 1976, the Indiana Hoosiers Men’s Basketball team became the first collegiate visitors to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. It has since become an annual tradition for collegiate champions to visit the President in the months after their title.
LSU Mark Memorable White House Visit
Of course, the final chapter of the LSU’s White House saga wouldn’t be complete without a little drama. During President Biden’s remarks, freshman forward Sa’Myah Smith fainted. She was immediately swarmed by her team as the live stream cut out. However, President Biden could be heard reassuring the crowd. Later, Biden apologized, “It’s a lot of standing,” Biden said. “I apologize. It’s OK. It’s happened lots of times.” A few minutes later, head coach Kim Mulkey gave a quick update on Smith. “As you can see, we leave our mark where we go,” Mulkey said. “Sa’Myah planned that. No, Sa’Myah is fine, for those of you who are concerned. I’ll assure you of that. … She doesn’t want to leave. She wants to stand with us but she needs to be checked out.”
Meanwhile, Dr. Biden and Angel Reese appeared to squash their beef. Reese presented the Bidens with a custom LSU jersey before embracing the first lady, Dr. Jill Biden. Dr. Biden had been the primary target of Reese’s wrath after the National Championship Game. This was due to Dr. Biden’s comments that appeared to imply that she intended to invite National Runners-up Iowa to the White House as well. However, the two appear to have no bad blood now.
WNBA preseason is rough. With a hard cap of 144 roster spots available, it’s incredibly hard for rookies to secure a spot in the league. This year, just 15 of the 36 players selected in April’s draft made an opening-day roster Furthermore, several high draft picks from recent years were also released.
Among those cut was Alexis Morris, who was taken at #22 by the Connecticut Sun. Morris played for four college teams between 2017 and 2022. However, she is best remembered for the two seasons she played at LSU. Furthermore, she ended her college career with a National Championship. But Morris’ reaction to her cutting earned her backlash.
In now-deleted tweets, Morris put WNBA veterans on blast after being cut by the Sun. “The vets gotta know when to cut the net, and pass the torch bro,” she wrote. “If you knocking at 35, hang it up and I mean WIRED HANGER ‘Hang it up,” Morris wrote. However, her comments earned her swift and fierce backlash from players across the league. “Don’t speak on someone else to make yourself feel better,” longtime veteran Kayla McBride wrote. “We all got stories. Just go write yours. As a whole the WNBA (is) fighting for respect and each of our stories look different. And should be respected,” she wrote. Furthermore, she added, “Respect the grind. Respect those around you. It’ll get you a long, long way.”
Morris has now apologized for her comments. “To the veterans of the WNBA, please accept my sincerest apologies. I never thought joining the W family would be easy, but now I understand just how hard it is to do that. My energy would have been better served directed toward league executives who have a say in expansion and other logistics. I look forward to celebrating your individual and collective careers and giving you all the flowers you deserve.” She continued, “I hope you can empathize and find it in your hearts to forgive me. I will continue to work hard in hopes of joining you all one day soon.” Additionally, Morris apologized to the fans. Furthermore, follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
Angel Reese is not the only famous face on LSU’s women’s basketball team. Freshman Flau’jae Johnson also had a starring role in the Tigers’ National Championship season. The SEC Freshman of the Year put up 11 points per game and 139 defensive rebounds as she helped give LSU a major backcourt presence. She is expected to play an even bigger role in her sophomore season.
Johnson is also a rapper, performing under the stage name Flau’jae. She already has a deal with Roc Nation and after stepping into the national spotlight, landed collabs with Lil Wayne and DJ Khaled. However, her rap prowess has landed her in some trouble. Furthermore, the university has been forced to apologize.
Johnson Adds 9/11 Line To Latto Remix
DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 31: Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts after the 79-72 victory over the Virginia Tech Hokies during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Johnson posted a video to her YouTube channel in which she remixed Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor”. However, the freshman guard added the line “In this 911, blowing smoke just like them towers”. The bar is a fairly masterful double-entendre referencing both the iconic Porsche 911 and the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. However, many people were not impressed with the inclusion of the lyric. A number of right-wing commentators argued that Johnson was making light of the attacks.
“In this 911 blowing smoke just like those towers.” – Flau’jae Johnson.
Take a bow @LSUwbkb. A player on your team mocked those who died on 9/11 by comparing it to a Porsche. Disgusting. I know people who still struggle to sleep at night because of what they did in war after 9/11. She thinks it’s a joke.
After the backlash emerged, LSU raced to issue a formal apology. “We spoke with Flau’jae this evening, and while she never intended to offend or upset anyone with her lyrics, she expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding and immediately took the video down,” the college told Fox News. “We will learn and grow from this experience together,” their statement continued. Johnson is yet to make a personal statement about the incident.
Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow were the two most sought-after players in the women’s basketball transfer portal. Van Lith was an experienced three-year starter at Louisville. She had never fallen short of the Elite Eight come March and finished her junior year as a career 42.2% shooter. She shouldn’t have been available but made the shock decision to graduate early from Louisville and play one more year as a graduate transfer.
Morrow is one of the best players in the nation, despite only being a sophomore. Barely getting attention out of high school, the Chicago-born player chose to attend nearby DePaul. There has been the heart of the Blue Demons team on both sides of the court. Averaging 23.5 points and 13.0 rebounds a game, Morrow played elite basketball despite rarely finding herself with anything less than a double team on her. Now both she and Van Lith will join Angel Reese at LSU next season.
Morrow had narrowed her transfer choices to three schools – LSU, South Carolina, and USC. She has relished the spotlight, taking every opportunity to hype her personal brand and transfer decision. But on May 5, she finally revealed where she was headed next. “New Home” Morrow wrote on Twitter, followed by a gold and purple heart. Morrow had been stood at a crossroads and decided to venture south to Baton Rogue. She joins Van Lith on the reigning National Champions after Van Lith committed on April 27.
LSU now stand as far and away the best roster in women’s basketball heading into the 2023-24 season. The addition of Van Lith raised them above UConn to the #1 spot on ESPN‘s “Way Too Early Top 25”. With Morrow joining the Tigers too, that ranking is unarguable now. Alongside Reese, Van Lith, Morrow, Kim Mulkey’s squad is stacked. Alongside sophomore-to-be Flau’jae Johnson, LSU welcomes two top-10 freshman to Baton Rogue in the fall. With South Carolina rebuilding after the loss of their generational class, this may be the year LSU wins the SEC. LSU last won the SEC regular-season championship in 2008 but have not claimed the tournament title since 2003.
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