"Angel Reese was a pretty big deal": 5-star guard ZaKiyah Johnson cites WNBA star as a major influence on her commitment to LSU

By Rotsen Rick Tidoy

Modified Nov 04, 2024 15:06 GMT

LSU has gotten itself a new five-star prospect as No. 12 overall ZaKiyah Johnson is heading to Baton Rouge to play for the Tigers. In her decision, she revealed that one of the biggest reasons for signing with the school was Angel Reese, who is now playing for the WNBA's Chicago Sky.

Her final three schools also included Louisville and Kentucky, but stated that she found Coach Kim Mulkey to be more genuine and was comfortable with her, despite being a native of Louisville, Kentucky.

“I picked LSU for their culture,” she told On3 during an interview. “I know coach Mulkey and her players know what it takes to be on the big stage and win a championship and I want to be competing with player I hadn’t seen normally, living here in Kentucky my whole life. Now it’s time to explore and I love how they made it still feel like home.”

Another big reason was the journey of Angel Reese in the program. While she has already left the school for the WNBA, Reese's 2023 NCAA national championship win over Caitlin Clark and Iowa had made Johnson want to go with the LSU Tigers.

"They won a National Championship recently and Angel Reese was a pretty big deal not only at LSU, but in college basketball in general," ZaKiyah Johnson told 247Sports.

"Winning that National Championship played a part in my decision. ... I know that they know what it takes to get there again. I can't wait to be part of a team that can win multiple national championships."

ZaKiyah Johnson has been described as a dynamic scorer who will make a huge impact with LSU. During her junior season, she averaged 18.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.1 steals per game for Sacred Heart.

ZaKiyah Johnson says her school is 'the LSU of high school'

ZaKiyah Johnson also noted that she is ready for all the media attention she will be receiving once she is part of LSU, claiming that her school, Sacred Heart, receives much media attention already with its consistent winning record.

"My school, Sacred Heart, is the high school version of LSU," Johnson told 247Sports. "We've always been on top and have the targets on our backs. With AAU, when I switched over to West Virginia, we were on the big stage and we became the team that had the targets on our backs.

"I like to hunt, but I also like to be the hunted. It feels so much better when you finish it off strong. I've been in the spotlight my whole life, so I want to keep it the same way. I want to be me and show my personality."

Johnson is now the third to commit to LSU from the class of 2025, with the first two being Divine Bourage and Bella Hines.