The Injury Update: LSU Women's Basketball Star Flau'Jae Johnson's Status

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers will be without star guard Flau'Jae Johnson for the foreseeable future while nursing a lower-body injury.

Johnson will be out through the Southeastern Conference Tournament, according to Mulkey, while nursing what has been described as "shin inflammation."

LSU's leading scorer will be held out until the NCAA Tournament with the program remaining cautious with her status moving forward.

"I sat Flau'jae," Mulkey said on Sunday following LSU's loss to Ole Miss. "The doctor didn't tell her she had to sit. The trainer didn't tell her she had to sit. This started before the Texas game, and I encouraged her to sit then."

Johnson was seen in a walking boot on Sunday afternoon prior to the Tigers' Senior Day showdown against the Ole Miss Rebels.

"When your shins are hurting you," Mulkey said, "It's like your feet and your back. When they are hurting, you cannot mentally perform. I don't care how tough you are, how much pain tolerance you have — it affects you."

The Tigers led by as many as 15 in the third quarter on Sunday, but turnovers allowed Ole Miss to get back in the game and comeback. LSU finished with 23 turnovers, including 14 in the second half.

Ole Miss scored 27 points off of turnovers throughout the game. LSU also allowed 38 Ole Miss points in the paint.

“It all began in the second half,” Mulkey explained. “Turnovers. You can’t win anything in sports by turning the ball over and we did it at the beginning of the third quarter and we did it at the beginning of the fourth quarter.”

It was clear from start to finish the Tigers were missing Johnson's scoring ability and defensive intensity on Sunday.

Johnson has four games this season with at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while being one of three LSU players over the past 25 seasons with multiple 25 point - 5 rebound - 5 assist games in a season.

The coveted guard's scoring has jumped from 14.9 points per game last season to 18.9 points per game as LSU’s leading scorer this season. She is also grabbing more rebounds and has four double-doubles on the year.

"With her and winning," Mulkey said, "you're not gonna increase your seed at the SEC tournament. And losing without her is not gonna make it worse.

"So shut her down. And that's what I did."

The Tigers are locked in to the No. 3 seed for the SEC Tournament this week.

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