Why LSU star Flau'jae Johnson blows kisses as a celebration

BATON ROUGE — Depending on your perspective, it's either a kiss of love or the kiss of death.

For a number of teams this season, including LSU women's basketball March Madness first-round victim San Diego State, Flau'jae Johnson puckering up was poisonous and debilitating.

Johnson blew two kisses to the crowd after a couple of big plays she made during LSU's monstrous 103-48 victory over the Aztecs. The first capped an 11-0 run to open the game after she stole the ball and quickly made a layup.

"I knew they were going to call timeout so I was popping it," Johnson told The Daily Advertiser after LSU's win. "I'll be blowing kisses to the student section. And my boyfriend (LSU football wide receiver Chris Hilton) was there."

Her second kiss came near the end of the third quarter off another turnover that led to a fastbreak layup, which the Tigers then doubled up SDSU, 73-36, at the time.

Johnson debuted the blowing kiss celebration earlier this season after another similar play, a momentum cementing, or for the opponent, a fate sealing sequence.

"I don't know, I just be blowing kisses to our student section because they're just amazing. Spreading love," Johnson initially said before sharing more of the origin of where the celebration got its roots.

While playing for Sprayberry High School, where Johnson was the No. 26 rated high school player coming out in 2022 and where she had her jersey retired, the dynamic and highly sought after prospect drew big crowds to her games. And some in the stands weren't necessarily there to cheer her on.

Johnson would proceed to go out and score big buckets in high-leverage moments in meaningful games and the competitor in her had to make sure those giving her noise from the seats know about it.

"I've been doing it since high school. I used to blow kisses to the crowd because they used to talk trash in high school, I would just give them a ...," Johnson said, gesturing blowing a kiss.

The kiss can have multiple meanings and depending on where you're sitting, you either love it or hate it.

But for Johnson, it's all about love.

"I do it to the student section because I love them for real," she said. "It just came to me, like, give them some love. They need it."

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Flau'jae Johnson blows kiss to the crowd. Here's why LSU star does it

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Why LSU star Flau'jae Johnson blows kisses as a celebration

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