After a hard-fought game against Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks, LSU Tigers standout Flau’jae Johnson came up short in a 79‑72 defeat. But the spotlight quickly shifted from the scoreboard to Flau’jae’s biggest supporter: her mother, Kia Brooks.
In a social media livestream following the game, Brooks passionately defended her daughter, emphasizing that while LSU lost as a team, Flau’jae had an incredible individual performance. She highlighted her daughter’s 21 points and 8 rebounds, declaring that Flau’jae “carried that game” and that South Carolina didn’t beat Flau’jae personally.
Brooks went further, pointing out Flau’jae’s success off the court, including her business ventures and name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals, arguing that her daughter is “set up for life” and doesn’t need validation from the WNBA.
Her remarks quickly went viral, sparking a mix of support and criticism online. Some praised Brooks for defending her daughter’s hard work, while others felt her comments overshadowed the team effort and disrespected South Carolina players.
