SPOKANE, Wash. — LSU women's basketball navigated the final 5:04 of the its Sweet 16 showdown with North Carolina State without its leading scorer, junior guard Flau'jae Johnson.
Johnson injured her eye in the fourth quarter on a play where she had the ball stolen from her by NC State's Zoe Brooks. In the run out to the other end, Johnson and Brooks' legs got tied up and both took a spill and it appeared Johnson was kicked in the right eye. She stayed down on the floor for about a minute before trainers got her and walked her over to the bench.
Despite being without its top offensive threat and trailing 65-62 when she exited the game, LSU managed to rally in the final five minutes to take down the Wolfpack 80-73 to advance to its third straight Elite Eight.
After her team's win, LSU coach Kim Mulkey was asked about Johnson's status for its Elite Eight game, which will be at 2 p.m. Sunday on ESPN against the winner of Ole Miss and UCLA.
LSU TAKES NC STATE'S BEST SHOT, SURVIVES LSU vs NC State Sweet 16 score: Tigers, Kim Mulkey top Wolfpack to advance to Elite Eight
LSU-NC STATE EARLIER MEETING LSU women's basketball knows earlier win vs NC State doesn't matter ahead of Sweet 16
"I haven't been told she can't play," Mulkey said. "I didn't see it. I don't know if she got poked in the eye, hit in the — I don't know. I just know I was getting ready to put her back in the game, and I turned around, and (the trainers) said they won't let her go back in the game because she's seeing double, like double vision a little bit.
"So we just went with Mjracle (Sheppard) defensively and (Kailyn Gilbert) offensively. But I haven't asked. They haven't come up to me, you know, all worried or anything like that. So, yeah, I anticipate she will be good to go."
Before she left the game, Johnson struggled against NC State, scoring just three points on 1-of-8 shooting for LSU (31-5).
LSU junior forward Sa'Myah Smith, who scored 21 points with 10 rebounds and stepped up amid Johnson's offensive slog, said Johnson was coaching her teammates on the bench while she wasn't able to play.
"She stayed in it," Smith said. "She stayed the leader that she is. She stayed in our ear about things she was seeing. I'm really just proud of her doing that.
"I thought she was actually going to come back in. But I'm super proud of her for just being the leader that we need and wanted her to be all year. That's just who she is."
SEIMONE AUGUSTUS IMPACT ON LSU WBB 'Coach Money': A look at Seimone Augustus' imprint on LSU women's basketball this season
ANEESAH MORROW-SA'MYAH SMITH CONNECTION Aneesah Morrow-Sa'Myah Smith connection shines in LSU's March Madness win vs Florida State
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: Kim Mulkey on Flau'jae Johnson's status for Elite eight game
