Olivia Dunne is one of the hottest commodities in college athletics at the moment. She has shone a new light on the traditionally overlooked collegiate gymnastics circuit. That is thanks to her good looks, undeniable talent, and millions of followers on social media. Dunne has 7 million TikTok followers and 3 million Instagram followers.
However, her fame has been an issue for LSU at times. The university had to issue a crowd conduct warning due to the raucous behavior of some fans at meets. In a different vein, the school had to issue a statement on the use of chatbots and AI after Dunne did sponsored content for an essay-writing AI tool. Despite these hiccups, Dunne’s star continues to shine and she is about to take her biggest step yet.
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition has been an annual staple since 1964. It has featured a range of models and celebrities in the prestigious role of cover model. However, athletes have had the rare honor of gracing the cover. The first athlete to do so was Ronda Rousey in 2016. The only other athletes to appear on the cover are soccer player Alex Morgan (2019) and tennis player Naomi Osaka (2021). Dunne will be the fourth athlete to star on the cover, and the first collegiate athlete to do so.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s an honor to be included because I love everything the magazine represents. It is all about supporting women from all different paths.” Dunne said. “The way that the [SI Swimsuit] brand has evolved and has become such a positive spotlight for women to tell their stories and to spread awesome messages of being strong, sexy and beautiful, I knew that was something I wanted to be part of,” she added. Swimsuit editor M.J. Day also spoke on what it meant to have Dunne on the cover.
“The refusal of some to appreciate Livvy for being more than just a pretty blonde is missing the point. The backlash she received for ‘leveraging’ her sexuality for endorsement dollars after the NIL restrictions were lifted is incorrect. We are here to celebrate this incredible young woman and encourage the world to respect and applaud Livvy and her fellow athletes for owning the blood, sweat and tears that have fueled a lifetime of achievements.”
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Editor M.J. Day
The 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition will debut in May.
Flau’jae Johnson, simply referred to as Flau’jae, is the hottest commodity in entertainment right now. As Flau’jae Johnson, she’s one of the star student-athletes on the historic championship-winning Louisiana State University Tigers women’s basketball team. Other the other hand, as Flau’jae she is a Roc Nation signee with a budding rap career. While fans of each respective industry would prefer the entertainer to choose one over the other, on her latest single, “Big 4,” Flau’jae silences the naysayers as she raps, “Are you gonna rap or be an athlete? / If I’m still doing both why you asking me?”
Even before taking home the NCAA tournament trophy, the musician was no stranger to the spotlight. After getting her start on music reality television shows such as The Rap Game hosted by Jermaine Dupri and America’s Got Talent, Flau’jae has used her competitive edge to score big both on and off of the court.
Sneaking away from the set of an undisclosed project, I had the chance to speak with Flau’jae about her upcoming collaboration Lil Wayne, the status of her current relationship with Jermaine Dupri, her ranking of other athletes that have pursued a music career, who her dream musical collaborators are, her forthcoming project, and more.
Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers reacts during the fourth quarter against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The following interview has been edited for clarity and length
HNHH:First and foremost, congratulations on your championship win. Following your team’s victory, you could hear your song “Big 4” playing in the stadium. What was the feeling like holding that trophy and hearing your music play at the same time?
FJ: Oh, it was, it was an unbelievable feeling. It was a wow moment, like, ‘wow, everything is finally paying off.’ You know? The music is working. Basketball is working. Everything’s just going into well.
So, that’s not the only major moment you’ve had in the past couple of weeks. Recently, you were on stage with Kevin Gates at a show where he later was presented with the key to his hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. How did that moment happen?
[Kevin gates] wanted to congratulate us on winning a national championship. He bought us out. Bought us flowers. Me and some of my teammates. I talked to him. He was just really proud of us and what everything we’re doing and how he was putting on for Baton Rouge.
Is there a possibility of you two working together in the near future?
Yeah, it definitely is a possibility. If the situation is right, we definitely can make that happen. But that was my first time meeting him and he just welcomed me with open arms.
Kevin Gates isn’t the only Louisiana native that you’ve kind of been getting kudos and praise and flowers from recently. During an appearance on ESPN, Lil Wayne showed you some love. He also shared that you two are in talks to do a collaboration together. Is it one off song? Is it a full project? What can we expect?
It’s a song right now, but I expect some heat. I mean, I’m very excited to be cooking up him. When you’re with a legend like Lil Wayne you have to make sure that you are doing your thang on the track. But I’m very excited. I want to say thank you to Lil Wayne. I want to say thank you to Coach Mulkey for throwing the alley-oop to Lil Wayne. And also Sue Bird for asking about me on ESPN and putting that together. I appreciate y’all for that.
How was your relationship with Lil Wayne developed? He has shared a story that your LSU coach, Kim Mulkey throw you that alley-oop. So how did that relationship come about?
Well, we have met yet in real life. But he knew my dad growing up in a time where they were both making music and coming up. My father was murdered but but he was popular [as a rapper] so he knew of my father. Coach Mulkey just told him like, ‘I got a rapper on my team.’ So, Coach is a real one for that. All right, love. Thank you.
That’s amazing. You’ve come a long way in your musical career not just sports. You made your musical debut on reality tv competitions shows like The Rap Game and America’s Got Talent. Could you tell me what were the best things that you took away from those two experiences?
The biggest thing that I took away from those experiences was just learning how to execute under pressure. I feel like though in those moments is a lot of pressure on you to perform right there on the spot and to get it together. So to execute under pressure. That’s a big one for sure.”
If you had to compare your experiences on both. Which of the shows did you learn the most from?
I would say when I was on The Rap Game that gave me the biggest lessons because I was young. So I was able to be open and accept whatever I was taught and I was just give you so much knowledge on how to become a superstar in a way. How to carry myself, how to record, how to talk to the media, everything that I learned to be a professional in the field is what I learned on The Rap Game. So I think that was the most important.
With America’s Got Talent, that was more of a confidence builder. Hearing Simon Cowell tell me ‘you can be a superstar’ and stuff like that really built up my confidence. So there’s like two different aspects, but I will say I learned more when I was on The Rap Game.
Have you stayed in contact with anyone from the shows? I know Jermaine Dupri is really big on trying to help a talent flourish and mentoring. What is your relationship like with him now?
Actually, I just hit him. I was like, ‘We gotta mess the internet up.’ People would love to see me and him have something [in the works]. He produced a hit for me and make it all come back [full circle]. I told him, ‘That would be dope.’ I just talked to him on Easter. So we’re trying to figure that out.
Going back to where it started!
And I think that’s why it’s gonna be so cool. I feel like it’s gonna be a big moment for the culture. I think that for everything that I’m doing, it’s gonna put the pieces together. It’s gonna be a great reunion for all The Rap Game fans to remember. Because, I mean, we had the show had the world on lock, you know, I’m saying when that show was on the air. So I think it’d be great for the community.
Speaking of community, we’ve build one of your own. Releasing several projects over the last few years. Tell me about your growth in music. Where are you at right now? What are you being inspired by?
I make another hit every day. And the songs are so different. I don’t know what time I want to put these songs out because they get so much better and they just so good. It take a lot of hard work right now. It’s probably the hardest time because I have so much going on. I’m in school, I got the NIL deals every week. I still gotta be in the studio. I got to work with this producer. So it’s a lot right now. You know what I’m saying? But I just have to get back disciplined in my schedule.So I can make sure that everything is going according to plan. So that when it’s time for the summer, I’m able to turn up.
And what do those summer plans consist of? Are we getting another single? A visual? Are we getting a tour because you light up those stages?
I do light up the stage. I have a lot of new fans that want to meet me. So I’m not going on tour per se, on my own tour this summer but I will be doing like a lot of shows. I want to start doing meet and greets so I can meet my fans at those shows and things like that in those cities. So that by the time its ready for the tour, they can say, ‘I met her. I love her music.’ So I think I think that this summer is gonna be full of bookings.
You said that you’re working in the studio. Do you have a tentative rollout for maybe what’s next like an EP or are you going full length this time?
Usually, I do a four-song EP, but I’m like ‘man four songs enough to tell the story that I want to tell,’ you know what I mean? So I think I’m gonna do like a six or seven-song EP, this summer. It’s coming real soon we’re getting the rollout ready to visual was ready and man, it’s gonna be one to remember I could promise you that.
Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers drives the ball against Kate Martin #20 of the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Will we see any guest verses from anybody?
There is actually gonna be some features. I don’t typically do features, I take pride in myself not collaborate with anybody because I want people to know I can stand on my own, I want people to know, ‘This girl can really rap.’ But some of my friends are on there. We’re trying to get a big feature on there as well. So hopefully we’ll make it happen.
Outside of your upcoming collaboration with Lil Wayne, who are your other dream collaborations?
Probably Adele. I love Adele. That would be different, but I love it. I really do love Rod Wave. Those are my top two. I really love them. J. Cole as well. He’s the greatest of all time to me.
It’s ironic that you mentioned J. Cole because he is both and athlete and a musician. So it only makes sense.
It makes sense.
That’s the center of your partnership with JBL.
I think that is really important you don’t put athletes in a box. They can do music too. You know what I mean? Like I’m getting to do both of the things I love. I have a NIL deal with JBL. I’m a JBL artists in basketball and music. They go hand in hand. So I’m going to court I got my JBLs on my hand you feel me. So I think that being multiversed. Doing different things is very important as an artist and as a basketball player.
If you had to play a game of one-on-one against J. Cole, Love & Basketball style, for a guest verse, who’s winning?
That’s gonna be me. I gotta do what I gotta do.
During your time on the All-Star Season of America’s Got Talent,you said when you initially stepped into rap music you were looking to continue the legacy of your late father. Now, you want to build on your own legacy. So my question to you is, what does your legacy look like? What do you want your legacy to be remembered as?
Doing something that nobody’s ever done before. And I feel like I’m on that path to greatness. My legacy is going to consist of me being the first being a pioneer in the space that nobody has touched on. Just being an athlete. Being a basketball player. Being an entrepreneur all at one time at the highest level. I think me exemplifying that is a form of true greatness. And so that’s what that’s what I want my legacy to consist of. And that’s the light that I want to step into, regarding what I’m doing.
It seemed the whole world had a take on Louisiana State University forward Angel Reese taunting the University of Iowa Hawkeyes’ star point guard Caitlin Clark at the end of the 2023 NCAA tournament’s championship game. In the closing minutes of the game, which LSU won 102-85, Reese gestured “You can’t see me” at Clark, who had done the same to an opponent earlier in the tournament.
While critics called Reese’s taunt “classless,” she also had her defenders, and discussion about the appropriateness of trash talk in women’s sports took over television for most of the week after. But one person’s name was missing from all the kerfuffle: The “you can’t see me” gesture’s originator, Tony Yayo.
Although the dance has been widely attributed to wrestler/movie star John Cena, Cena himself has admitted his use of the move was inspired by the G-Unit rapper, who waves his right hand in front of his face in the “So Seductive” video. Yayo finally broke his silence over the weekend during an interview with TMZ. “I’m cool with it, you know?” he said of the dance’s popularity. “It’s just a dance. I don’t take nothin’ personal. It was a dance I created because I was trying to hide from the police.”
He shouted out Cena, Clark, and Reese for keeping the dance in the public eye before noting, “Angel Reese? You know, she took the ‘U Can’t C Me’ dance to a whole ‘nother level.”
You can watch Tony Yayo’s full interview with TMZ above.
The LSU Women’s Basketball team is having quite the year after securing their first title in the program’s history. Winning the 2023 NCAA National Championship title over Iowa has sparked controversy and praise worldwide. LSU players were not pleased when Dr. Jill Biden invited both teams to the White House, an honor usually reserved only for the winning champions. This didn’t sit well with star Angel Reese or any other members of the team. Now, actress Gabrielle Union is coming to their defense
On Wednesday, Union penned a sweet Instagram message to the predominantly Black basketball team. The Deliver Us From Eva star shared a photo of the LSU players and wrote: “Black women deserve to be celebrated, applauded, encouraged, and uplifted. For far too long, we’ve carried the weight of others on our backs, shoulders, bosoms, and heads. Now is our time to be seen in every form of the human experience, whether in loss, grief, or celebration.”
Both sports fans and commentators have slammed the LSU ladies, specifically Reese, for poor sportsmanship. This was specifically due to a famous John Cena hand gesture she made on the court directed at Iowa star Caitlin Clark. However, Union, like many others, alluded to the ladies being wrongly viewed as confrontational on the court, adding: “To every Black woman who has felt misunderstood, under-appreciated, or unseen, this is your permission to be unapologetically you.”
Reese has emerged as the unofficial spokesperson and villain of the team for her honesty. Despite Dr. Biden’s apology, the 20-year-old made headlines when she said the players would not be attending the White House. LSU’s athletic department has confirmed the team will be in attendance at the White House, though it’s unclear if Reese herself will join her teammates. She’d previously shared that she’d prefer to meet former first lady Michelle Obama instead. The uproar surrounding Reese has reminded sports fans of track star Sha’Carri Richardson. Her outspokenness fueled much hate, leaving many unfond of her. Knowing the burden of such critique, Richardson has also lent her support to the LSU women’s team.
Amid Angel Reese’s ongoing beef with the President of the United States, Joe Biden officially invited UConn and LSU to the White House. A visit to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has become a staple for the winning teams across the multiple sporting leagues present in the United States.
The tradition dates back as far as 1865 when two amateur baseball teams visited President Andrew Johnson. The first professional team to visit The White House was baseball’s Cincinnati Red Stockings in 1869. Over the subsequent 150 or so years, a visit to The White House has become a staple for most sports leagues. The first collegiate basketball team to visit is believed to be the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. The practice has led to a number of notable incidents. In 1987, New York Giant Harry Carson dumped a tub of popcorn on President Reagan. Nearly 30 years later, President Trump was mocked for the fast food spread he had prepared for the visiting Clemson Tigers.
LSU Accept Invitation, But Reese’s Status Uncertain
According to CNN, LSU’s Athletics Department has accepted the invitation extended to the team by the Bidens. However, the report also points to Reese’s comments on the Paper Route podcast as evidence Reese may not be in attendance. Reese, nor any other member of the LSU team, has officially stated they will skip the visit. LSU Head Coach Kim Mulkey said she would attend if invited. Mulkey has previously visited the White House, visiting President Trump alongside her 2019 Baylor Bears National Championship squad.
However, skipping the trip to The White House is not an uncommon practice. Tom Brady skipped trips in 2015 and 2019 due to “family reasons”. Former Raven Matt Birk opted out in 2013 due to President Obama’s pro-life stance. Larry Bird famously chose not to visit President Reagan in 1984, saying “If the president wants to see me, he knows where to find me.” More recently, nearly three-quarters of Clemson’s Black football players did not attend their 2019 White House visit with President Trump. In short, it is not unusual for players to skip meeting the President for a variety of reasons. What makes the case of LSU so unusual is the incredibly public manner in which the pre-visit drama has unfolded.
Flau’jae Johnson of the LSU women’s basketball team says that she’s got a collaboration with Lil Wayne on the way. The star Tigers guard confirmed the feature during a tweet celebrating her team’s National Championship victory on Tuesday night.
“Imagine Winning A National Championship Your FRESHMAN Year! Then Getting A Lil Wayne Feature Right After ??! What is life,” she said in the tweet. Fans were excited about the news in her replies. One wrote: “CAME A LONG WAY FROM THE RAP GAME, that freestyle u did not too long ago told me u can really be a star and rep yo pops. Keep doing yo thing on and off the court cause u a baller too!!” Another joked: “I can hear that lighter flicker now…”
Flau’jae Johnson Celebrates LSU’s Championship Win
DALLAS, TEXAS – APRIL 02: Flau’jae Johnson #4 of the LSU Lady Tigers cuts down a piece of the net after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 during the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at American Airlines Center on April 02, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Wayne had previously mentioned wanting to work with Johnson on music during an interview on the broadcast of ESPN’sThe Bird And Taurasi Show. Johnson shared that clip in her post. “Actually, me and Flau’jae, we’ve spoken, but we about to connect musically soon,” Wayne said as LSU’s Final Four matchup against Virginia Tech played. “That’s shoutout to Miss Kim [Mulkey] too. Because Kim told me, ‘you must do something with my girl Flau’jae.’ I was like ‘say less.’” The host of the interview added: “Flau’jae is about to have a legit music career. I’m so proud of her.”
LSU ended up defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 on Sunday. Drama quickly ensued for the winning team after Angel Reese taunted Iowa’s Caitlin Clark after the game. Several media pundits caught backlash for labeling the move “classless,” including Barstool’s Dave Portnoy. Clark has since spoken out in defense of Reese, telling ESPN, “We’re all competitive. We all show our emotions in a different way. You know, Angel is a tremendous, tremendous player. I have nothing but respect for her. I love her game.”
Flau’jae Johnson Teasing A Lil Wayne Collaboration
Imagine Winning A National Championship Your FRESHMAN Year! Then Getting A Lil Wayne Feature Right After ??! What is life pic.twitter.com/38TinB05Ja
There’s a little bit of a double standard happening in women’s college basketball, and Shaquille O’Neal is coming to Angel Reese’s defense. Louisiana State University reigned over Iowa State this past weekend, taking home the 2023 NCAA national championship. The victory came with controversy after LSU star Angela Reese enjoyed her win by making John Cena’s famous wrestling gesture. She even pointed at her ring finger and taunted Iowa State star, Caitlin Clark. When Iowa beat Louisville last week, Clark made the same motion to mock the defeated.
Later, Clark was even praised by Cena who took to social media with kind words. However, following Angel Reese’s similar display, she was deemed “classless” and rude by the general public. However, she has a fierce defender in Shaq, who has been firing off responses on Twitter. Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy shared a video of Reese and added, “Classless piece of sh*t.” In the comments, Shaq added, “And so is your mother.”
We’re not sure if Portnoy has reacted to Shaq’s immature diss, but he wasn’t the only one to feel the wrath. Countdown podcast host Keith Olbermann also hopped on the microblogging site with Reese criticism. “What a f*cking idiot,” he wrote in a retweet of Reese’s gesture. “Doesn’t matter the gender, the sport, the background – you’re seconds away from a championship and you do something like this and overshadow all the good. Mindless, classless, and what kind of coach does this team have?”
Shaq replied, “Shut your dumb ass up leave angel reese alone.” Later, Olbermann apologized, admitting he wasn’t familiar with what led to Reese’s moment. “I apologize for being uninformed last night about the back story on this.” He added, “I don’t follow hoops, college or pro, men or women. I had no idea about Clark. Both were wrong.” Clark was accused of using the gesture to various teams throughout the season but didn’t face the same backlash. Reese has been unapologetic for her behavior, stating she’s from Baltimore, where people trash talk on the court. Conversations about the controversy continue to run rampant online. Was Angel Reese out of line?
The Tigers’ 102 points are the most-ever in an NCAA women’s title game, and the result was the first-ever national championship for LSU in men’s or women’s basketball. So, yeah, Reese (the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, by the way) was rightfully feeling herself.
People are mad — and telling on themselves in their racist and sexist outrage.
The backstory: Clark hit the “you can’t see me” during Iowa’s 97-83 Elite Eight trouncing of Louisville. She put up a triple-double with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists. Mostly everybody loved her confidence. But when Reese served Clark the “you can’t see me” as time was expiring in the national championship, Reese was ridiculed for being too cocky or whatever.
“Caitlin Clark is a hell of a player, for sure, but I don’t take disrespect lightly,” Reese said on ESPN afterward.
As for Clark and Reese, Clark wasn’t bothered by Reese’s excellent taunt, and Reese used the moment to speak on the purpose behind her unabashed authenticity.
All year, I was critiqued about who I was. I don’t fit in a box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. But when other people do it, y’all say nothing. So this was for the girls that look like me, that’s going to speak up on what they believe in. – Angel Reese pic.twitter.com/e8tinGBe6n
“All year, I was critiqued about who I was,” Reese said during her postgame presser. “I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in the box that y’all want me to be in. I’m too hood. I’m too ghetto. Y’all told me that all year. But when other people do it, y’all don’t say nothing. So this was for the girls who look like me, that’s gonna speak up on what they believe in. It’s unapologetically you, and that’s who I did it for tonight.”
She continued, “It was bigger than me tonight. It was bigger than me. Twitter is gonna go on a rage every time, and I mean, I’m happy. I feel like I helped grow women’s basketball this year. I’m super happy and excited, so I’m looking forward to celebrating and then next season.”
Maddie Meyer) 
(@THEKIDMERO)