LSU’s Flau'jae Johnson emotional as Party City goes out of business after nearly 40 years
LSU Tiger guard Flau'jae Johnson joined many in expressing her shock at the closure of the retail chain, Party City. The company announced on Thursday that it will shut down its operations in all locations in the US after 40 years of business.
Flau'jae Johnson shared a new post on her Instagram story on Friday, writing:
"My Shaylaaaaa😢💔💔💔."
Party City CEO Barry Litwin, in a video conference with the employees, said:
“That is without question the most difficult message that I’ve ever had to deliver. It’s really important for you to know that we’ve done everything possible that we could to try to avoid this outcome. Unfortunately, it’s necessary to commence a wind-down process immediately.”
Party City has 747 locations in the US, with 63 stores in Florida, 82 in Texas, and 88 in California. While some stores will be shut down immediately, others are expected to be open till February/March 2025.
Flau'jae Johnson continues to shine on and off the court
After the Elite Eight run last season, Flau'jae Johnson has set her sights on the national championship for this campaign. The guard is averaging 20.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists while shooting 51.9% from the floor.
"I really wanna win the national championship," she said (via Sports Illustrated). "I felt it before but I wanna lead my team to win. Like I feel like if I don't win another championship, it's gonna be a failure for me. I like to just shoot for the moon and work really hard and try to see where I land."
Meanwhile, off-court Flau'jae Johnson is making huge strides in NIL. After signing with the professional women's basketball league, Unrivaled, Johnson is set to become the second athlete after Paige Bueckers to launch a player's edition sneakers. While the UConn guard did it with Nike, Johnson's new show will be with PUMA.
Flau'jae Johnson revealed the shoe on her podcast, 'Best of Both Worlds' when she gifted a pair to her fan, Kambri.
“This, right here, this is something nobody has except for you and my family,” Johnson said. “I’m gonna sign a box for you and I’m gonna sign a shoe for you. This is my own Puma PE Flau’jae Edition, Camouflage.”
The name and the camo pattern are a nod to her late father, rapper Jason's stage name, and the design includes tributes to her mother and her nickname, 'Big 4.'