LSU star Flau’jae Johnson isn’t letting Paige Bueckers forget about their coaching rivalry. The Tigers guard recently revisited their Overtime Select battles, playfully accusing Bueckers of rigging the officiating. The back-and-forth highlights a friendly but competitive dynamic that is now set to move from the sidelines to the WNBA court.
What Did Flau’jae Johnson Say About Paige Bueckers Paying the Refs?
In a recent interview posted by Overtime Select on Instagram, Johnson called out Bueckers when asked if she would have beaten her in their coaching matchup.
“Absolutely. Paige knows that, you know Paige was paying the refs. Cam Wilder, he was terrible. He was terrible ref,” Johnson said in the video. “He was like ‘You know, you got the money?’ I mean, I grabbed some money out there. He was like, the call will go your way. He was reffing in Birkenstocks.”
Johnson was referencing their September 2024 Overtime Select coaching clash, where her Team Flau’jae fell to Bueckers’ squad 105-102 in the championship game. The narrow defeat clearly still stings for the LSU star, who continued her playful accusations by pointing out the unusual officiating. “The stars aligned for Paige. He wasn’t calling anything. He said no blood, no foul,” she added.
Despite the complaints, Johnson acknowledged Bueckers got away with one and playfully warned that they would settle things when they meet as WNBA players. “Paige knows that she got away with one, but I let her, you know, I didn’t let her do it, but you know, since she’s in the W now, she’s not able to coach. I’ll see her in the W.”
Throughout the interview, Johnson also showed genuine respect for Bueckers, calling her “my dawg.” She mentioned that she is closely following the former UConn star’s WNBA rookie season and feels she has to “represent for her a little bit” now that Bueckers can no longer coach in the event.
How Did Bueckers Respond During Their Coaching Battle?
During the actual game, the banter was just as lively. While Johnson was jokingly trying to bribe the referee, Bueckers accused her of rigging the contest.
Video from the event shows Johnson approaching the referee and saying, “How much do you need? Come on. Let’s have a little competition.”
Bueckers immediately fired back with her own claims. “It all makes sense. Yeah, so Flaujae is paying the refs. I’ve known this entire time that the game was rigged,” Bueckers said during the live stream. “They feel bad because I won last year. They want to even it out so we can go a third time or something.”
While maintaining her innocence, the UConn star accused Johnson of improper conduct with the officials. “So I know that it’s rigged, but we’re still going to win anyway. But you just saw it. You have the evidence. She’s cupcaking with the refs and paying them,” Bueckers stated. “So I play a fair and clean game. It’s a close game.”
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In the end, Bueckers’ Team Paige defeated Johnson’s squad 105-102. The victory capped off her successful coaching stint before she retired from the role to enter the WNBA Draft.
Following that event, Johnson returned to coach Team Flau’jae again in June 2025 but announced her own coaching retirement after losing to a team led by USC’s JuJu Watkins. Now, both former coaches are set to settle their rivalry as professional players, with Johnson expected to enter the WNBA after her career at LSU concludes.