It’s WNBA Draft night in New York City, and number 8 overall pick Flau’jae Johnson arrived on the orange carpet in a mermaid silhouette cutout gown, accessorizing the look with a fuzzy black shawl and sparkly Judith Lieber clutch. She kept her glam soft with a pop of purple eye shadow, and her hair down and straightened.
The look is exactly what she envisioned when we spoke last week before her fitting, telling her stylist, Elly Karamoh, the goal was a The-Met-Gala-meets-the-WNBA-Draft look. “You really only get drafted one time. Your draft fit is very important,” she shared, before landing on the description: “Elevated elegance.” For the night, she tapped Shafon Moore for makeup and Karjah Carter for hair.
The soon-to-be-graduated 22-year-old guard out of Louisiana State University (LSU) isn’t just a star on the court—though it should be noted she was named the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year, a two-time First Team All-SEC selection, and a national championship winner—but also in the worlds of pop culture and beauty. She’s a recording artist and rapper (her new song “Woah” is coming soon), a philanthropist, and a bona fide fashion and beauty lover, known for her long, black, curly hair and natural glam on and off the court.
Johnson credits her mom and longtime manager, Kia Brooks, with her unwavering self-belief. “My mom was the first person to really instill that confidence in me, tell me I was beautiful, tell me that I could do anything that I wanted to do, and so I believed it,” Johnson said, adding that finding herself was what she loved most about her time at LSU. “I think just the growth of my confidence has become something that’s unshakeable,” she added.
That confidence has paid out in spades: She has almost 4 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, and more recently, an E.L.F. Beauty contract to show for it. To stay grounded through it all, Johnson says she started journaling. “I’m always jotting down notes because my mind is spinning,” she says, adding that she starts by reflecting on her plans for the day, then lets everything flow from there. “Every page is different.”
She also practices meditation and uses the 6-1-7 breathing exercise (which involves breathing in for six seconds, holding it for one, and breathing out for seven) to help calm her nerves.
Photo: Kristina Bumphrey/WWD via Getty Images
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