How Flau'jae Johnson's daily film study and self-belief are fueling the LSU star's most rewarding season yet

Flau'jae Johnson has a standing appointment to watch film with LSU associate head coach Bob Starkey every single day at 8 a.m. This originally started out as something she did three times a week, but later decided it needed to be a part of her everyday routine.

They watch recent games, old games and also film from upcoming opponents. Johnson said it has significantly helped with her development and she often encourages others on her team to use their resources. When MiLaysia Fulwiley first transferred to LSU, Johnson took her under her wing. One of the first pieces of advice she gave her was to visit Starkey's office. 

"That's what makes me feel the most prepared, watching a lot of film and doing my own scouting report," Johnson told CBS Sports. "Knowledge, it brings confidence."

Last week, a few days before LSU's eye-opening upset of Texas, Johnson was excited to give CBS Sports a taste of what her film sessions with Starkey are like. She was particularly animated when she saw a clip of her spin move against Georgia the previous night.

"That was tough," she said after pointing out she did it twice that night. "That's one of the moves that I train so much that I didn't even know I was doing it, for real. We do so many variations of the Penny Hardaway stepback. You go down baseline and you spin. And off the read, based on what she is doing... based on how she reacts to it, boom, boom, it's kind of like a feel. The play is for me to go baseline and rip. She kind of cut me off, so I'm going to use her momentum against her."

The scouting report is not an assignment given to her by the coaching staff, it is a personal project she assigned herself. Johnson said she started doing it after reading Jay Bilas' book, "Toughness."

"I was like, 'I wonder how much that would separate me as a player if I was able to bring that mentality and really see different options, and really study the game,'" she said.

Johnson said her senior season has been challenging but already the most rewarding one of her college career. She did a lot of self-reflection after LSU started 0-2 in SEC play. Although Johnson went scoreless for the first time since her freshman year in a loss against Vanderbilt, the sky was not falling.

"I landed, and I went straight to the gym," Johnson recounted. "I got in a cold tub and really just did a lot of self-reflecting. 'What can I do better?' Where was my mental -- because I know I'm physically prepared -- so mentally, where was I lost? I woke up the next morning and got to it."

The results showed right away as she scored a season-high 25 points against Georgia. A few days later, LSU handed then-No. 2 Texas its first loss of the season. 

Johnson, a 5-foot-10 guard, is averaging 14.5 points per game while shooting 51% from the field and 44.8% from beyond the arc, both of which are the best percentages of her career. She is also putting up 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per contest, along with the occasional block, such as one against Texas 6-foot-6 center Kyla Oldacre.

She is fiery on the court, but Johnson's biggest strengths are her mentality and ability to instill confidence in herself and teammates. When she is not on the floor, Johnson still puts in the work by being the loudest cheerleader for the Tigers. Growing up, her mom taught her the importance of clapping for others until it's your turn.

Johnson already won a championship ring with the 2023 roster, but she tries not to let the past nor the future affect her present. Johnson has learned to never get too high or too low, and part of the self-reflection after losing two consecutive games this season was that there are some things that should come from players and not necessarily the coaching staff.

"(Coach Kim Mulkey's) message is very direct and fiery. But I think what is more important is the message to yourself, self-confidence and self-belief," Johnson said. "Never ever, ever lose that belief in yourself. I think that's a testament to who I am as a player, and where I'm going is what I'm really most proud of myself for -- really just staying confident. I'm really proud of myself about that and my message to the team is for you to believe in yourself more than anything. 

"We are going to believe in each other, but have that self-belief. That's what I told us before the Georgia game and that's what I'm going to continue to implement."

Johnson is in the middle of her last college basketball season before entering the WNBA Draft. She is not looking at draft boards -- CBS Sports had her going fifth overall in a November mock draft -- or paying attention to outside noise because she is trying to stay present. However, everything she is doing right now is to help with her future goals.

"I want to be a way better player than when I started," she said. "A way better mental space. For me it's about that mental preparation. I really want to be at the peak of my mental and physical condition. I gotta go into a whole nother season into the W. That's really been something that I've been thinking about and working on."

That mental preparation starts each day with the morning film session. CBS Sports got a glimpse of how those breakdowns go as Johnson analyzed four different clips during an exclusive interview. Here is the full film breakdown session: