Caitlin Clark has missed four WNBA games due to a quad injury, and the conversation is still about her and Chicago Sky baller Angel Reese. The Indiana Fever have survived the absence of the WNBA’s assists leader who will miss her fifth game on Tuesday against the Atlanta Dream. Coach Stephanie White confirmed to reporters that Clark has made progress, but the team is still “going to be cautious” with their superstar.
Flau’Jae Johnson admitted that she’s no longer friends with Angel Reese and has a relationship with Cailtin Clark, that includes texting. (Sreenshot/Flau’Jae)
After suffering the injury May 24 against the Liberty, the Fever have a 2-2 record without Clark in the lineup this season. They beat the Chicago Sky, 79-52, in their most recent outing.
Angel Reese Had Bad Game With Caitlin Clark On The Sidelines
Clark was present on the sidelines and Reese didn’t have her best game, so that opened up the floodgates of criticism. The WNBA rebounding leader managed just 4 points, 12 rebounds and two assists, while committing three turnovers. Reese has struggled to make a significant impact on winning this season, averaging only 9.1 points and 2.6 assists per game, with a shooting percentage below 30 percent.
Remember, Reese was supposed to be putting in significant work on her game this offseason. Despite being at all of the celebrity events, Reese posted a video of her working out on her post game and even taking some advice from WNBA legend Lisa Leslie.
Her fans hoped for improved offensive play, but what many believe we are seeing is transgression. Reese stays in the spotlight and her brand is a huge one. Her affiliation with Reebok and her 4.9M Instagram followers makes her presence an asset for the WNBA beyond the basketball court.
That can’t be denied, as much as people want to discredit her basketball talent in order to boost Clark. While nothing is really happening on the court for Reese and her Chicago Sky team, naturally her name gets pulled into drama and social media gossip.
Flau’Jae Johnson On Breakfast Club: She’s Not Friends With Angel Reese
Reese’s relationship with former teammate and LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson went left at a certain point and both hoopers have acknowledged that their friendship has faded, which has inspired reaction from fans who watched the tandem make history together in BAton Rouge.
While that hadn’t been a huge issue of late, Johnson went on the Breakfast Club during a June 9 interview and decided to keep it one hundred percent real about why she and Reese are no longer homies.
“we’re not friends, but I mean that bond that we had, that thing that we did together, winning a national championship, you can never take that away from us,” Johnson said. “And so sometimes stuff happens, you wish it didn’t happen, but it does. And you just gotta grow.”
LSU star Flau’jae Johnson via the Breakfast Club on her relationship with Chicago Sky star Angel Reese!
She says they aren’t friends but she’ll always support her and wish her the best.
As someone that loves both of them. I hope they can repair their friendship 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/bZPubZ8Ryg
Reese first acknowledged the split on a September 2024 episode of her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast.
“I still support Flau’jae. We aren’t as close as we used to be,” Reese said. “There’s no hard feelings or anything, but we aren’t as close. It happens. You don’t have the best relationships with everybody, and don’t always continue relationships with people. So I wish her the best always, and I’m always gonna support her… but yeah, there’s no love lost.”
The tandem, once social media stars, often appeared in posts together during their time at LSU, where both exploded as brands and became rich before ever stepping foot into the league. Reese’s brand has been booming and her high-end collabs have filled her pockets. Johnson is signed to Jay-Z‘s Roc Nation as a rap artist and she has dreams of pursuing the mic and a spot in the WNBA.
To say that family and egos destroyed their friendship would probably be accurate.
NIL, Family Drama, Social Media Split The Team
During her “Breakfast Club” interview, Johnson was asked whether their friendship may have been affected by conversations among “their people.” Johnson’s mother made some comments that many believe helped to fracture the relationship. She agreed that outside factors were strong.
“Yeah, it was a lot of media, it was a lot of locker room stuff, you know what I’m saying? Stuff that goes on behind the scenes. But it happens. It happens,” Flau’Jae said.
In May 2024, Johnson’s mother, Kia Brooks, accused Reese of having a GPA below 2.0 at LSU in a social media post. That really got the Anti-Reese fans focused on trying to prove she was unintelligent. Reese’s mother, Angel Webb Reese, responded by blasting Brooks’ grammar and the situation escalated and spilled into the public, which created a permanent riff in the relationship.
Mutual Respect Remains Between Angel Reese and Fla’jae Johnson
Along the way, both Johnson and Reese have publicly expressed support for each other in their career pursuits.
“I support her and everything that she do. She killin’ it in the WNBA,” Johnson said. “I be on social media, clownin’ the folks that be talkin’ down on her. I’m just proud of her.”
FJ averaged 18.6 points per game in 34 games last season as the Tigers advanced to the Elite Eight in the postseason. LSU defeated San Diego State, Florida State and NC State before playing the UCLA Bruins and losing, 72-65.
After the season, LSU lost a few key contributors, such as Aneesah Morrow, who transitioned to the WNBA, so this will be Johnson’s fourth season and her first as the leader of the show.
As she works toward her senior season, Johnson will also be participating in the training with Team USA in Colorado Springs this offseason.
Her maturity is showing as Flau’Jae was a knockout with her outfit for the BET Awards.
Flau'jae bringing glamour to the BET Awards red carpet 🤩 🔥
Flau’Jae Reveals A Personal Friendship With Cailtin Clark
Flau’Jae as an adversary to Reese makes her a friend to Cailtin Clark fans. Johnson has continually supported Clark and appears to have more of a relationship with her these days than Reese, which is quite a turn of events.
Flau'jae Johnson on Caitlin Clark: "…that's why I'm going to some Fever games this year." ❤️🔥 "I text her, ask her for advice all the time…shout out Double C" "She really got that kill mentality…but I don't think she turn it off" "I see the hype, I get it, I love it" pic.twitter.com/TsRWI3TWdx
On a recent podcast, Johnson described a close relationship with Clark that has developed since the two were college foes fighting for Final Fours and National championships.
“…that’s why I’m going to some Fever games this year.,” Johnson said.
“That’s my dawg, like I text her and ask her for advice all the time. Like, “How do you shoot like this? Why do you do that?”
“Just to see her…one of the greatest shooters in the world I feel like, I am just trying to get tips. She the coolest tho’, like willing to help…shout out Double C
She just got this keep going mentality…she really got that k%ll mentality. but I don’t think she turn it off “”I see the hype, I get it, I love the hype.”
