March 17, 2025 • 53 mins
Ashlyn catches Flau’jae Johnson– the 21-year-old LSU Tigers star, rapper, and all around business woman– on her way back from basketball practice. Flau’jae gets real about growing up watching her mom fight hard against the grain, making her own way as a rapper and an athlete, and making a life for herself and her family at such a young age. She and Ashlyn talk Momagers, being exceptional, and doing everything– sort of.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:09):
All righty, Welcome back everybody to a new week of
Wide Open with Ashland Harris. I am so excited to
have the one and only Flage Johnson on today's episode.
Flage plays for the LSU women's basketball team. She is
now a phenom rapper, activist, entrepreneur. I mean, you name it, girl.
(00:36):
You are just crushing the scene right now. I'm so
proud of you. Recently signed with jay Z's record label
Rock Nation. Let's go, honey, you are You're it, You're
on fire. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thank you? I'm good, I'm good, super good. I'm happy
to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Should I be your hype woman all the time? When
I introduce you?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, for sure, just like that. That was perfect.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
You. You are so wise and so smart and have
such a good head on your shoulders. Every time I realize,
I mean you just turn twenty one and what November? Yeah,
I'm like, oh. The first time I met you, I
was like, oh, I remember when I was that age
in college, Like I was not that smart and put together.
(01:21):
I was like, what bar am I going to? Am
I dancing on the table? No one can see no
social media? Am I wearing sweats to that bar? Like
You're just so much more advanced at your age than
a lot of players during my generation who were in college,
because you have to be, like you're a business woman
(01:44):
at twenty one years old, Like that is incredible.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, No, I think, no, definitely have to be.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
It's just like I have so many different opportunities for myself,
and I know it's only like a short window of.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
College, you know what I'm saying. It's a very short
window because I was just a freshman that I'm a junior.
So it's like you have.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
To maximize your time and and like what you put
your energy into. But I know I'm really trying to
build something for my future, you know, And I know
where I want to be and where I want to go.
So I always just I always kind of have that
mindset though of like I just want to do some
special So I know it's certain things that you can
do and you cannot do.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And I've just been trying to read and learn a.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Lot because you could just learn from, you know, other
people's mistakes and what they do.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
And that's what I try to do.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And I love that. And it's something I always talk
about often, is when you live life through the lens
of young star like your star and your own right
and you're building and everything is put on camera and
social media, like it's just a it's a you're living
in a different world right now than a lot of us.
(02:49):
So like you can't make mistakes the mistakes you make.
Everyone seats for me. I like I could fly under
the radar at your age and I could do reckless
shit truthfully and get away with it. Y'all can't get
away with that anymore because this cancel culture social media
like era, you got a lot of people looking at
(03:10):
your every single move.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, no, definitely, and that's why I always got a
good head on my shoulders. But also people around me,
like because MOOKI said all the time, like you know
what I'm saying, If y'all going out, y'all, you know
there's phones everywhere.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You gotta drink in your hand and you underage, you
know what I'm.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Saying, Like you, she doesn't play that, but she'd be
just like you gotta watch who you surrounded by and
who you with like and who watching you.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Because now that we in.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
AyL like we got in IL, it's like more so
we like professionals now like we get paid to play basketball,
so it's like you gotta act like a professional, like
you know what I'm saying, Whether you this age or not,
that's how people view you.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Well, yeah, I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So I think I think it's just important to just
be aware.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And that's why I think a lot of kids aren't
aware for real, for real, just aware.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Well you're you're now representing brands, your brands, ambassadors, your
partnerships matter. It's how you carry yourself, how the public
eye sees you. But most importantly, all these young players
that come to your games, like they have access to
you now that they didn't have to us when we
were in college and before we dive into your success
(04:17):
here now in the present, I want to know about
Flage as a kid, as a baby, the origin story,
because what I was, you know, I met you last year.
We got to spend some quality time together. Yeah I remember,
you know, And this is when I wasn't around you,
(04:38):
I was speaking so highly of you and how you
carried yourself and your mom. Like you guys are just
so humble and good people and genuine and you all
have such a great head on your shoulders and like
how you show up in the world matters, community matters
to you. It's more than just the basketball, the you know,
(05:01):
the music career. It's really how you move in the
world and how you show up just being Flage, which
I loved so much about you, and it became your
your energy was so infectious. I just think you're really
changing the landscape and diversifying and your savviness and business
(05:23):
and education really separate you from the pack. And it's
probably why you're making so much damn money. So go on,
go on, Kia, I mean really I like Kia. By
the way, everyone is Flage's mom and we call her
the nil Mamager.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, that's that's where she'd go.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So so tell me about the origin story. Tell me
about who you were as a kid, Like, where did
all of this, you know, grit and hunger to be
successful come from?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Yeah? I mean I would have to say it came
from my mom.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
You know, before I was born. My dad, he was
murdered before before I was born. So I always like
to say my story kind of started before I was born.
And I always just seen my mom just working hard.
I always seen her working hard. I always just seen
her making things happen. Like if it's anything that I
ever wanted, it was nothing that I never had because
she was always like, yeah, I'm gonna make this happen. So,
you know, some kids that could get spoiled by that,
(06:21):
but me, I just kind of adapted to that mentality
of like, if I want something, I'm gonna go get.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
It like and I'm not gonna take no for an answer.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
And I just seen my mama get to it, like
I seen her get to it, and I seen her hustor,
and I was just I was lucky to have a
mom like that because if I didn't. You know, my
mom she quit her job so that she could move
up to Atlanta and I could have a better rap
career when I was about like twelve thirteen years old,
Like what is a girl, a little girl raper gonna
(06:48):
do at twelve thirteen years old? But she always had
that vision, like you know what I'm saying, before the
sports basketball even happening. So and then just coming from Savannah, Georgia,
I feel like Savannah, Georgia is a small town, small city.
You see people doing the same thing that they did
when I was kids, Like they're still doing the same thing.
You see what I'm saying, so I just never wanted
to get left in that stay in that. I always
wanted to leave and bring resources back to the city.
(07:11):
So you know that that kind of has a hold
on me too, Savannah, for sure. And I never just
the city just kind of haunted me just because that's
where my dad was from and that's where he was murdered,
and I just kind of wanted to get out of that,
and I wanted to be successful because of that.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Oh I love that. And is that like when did
when did this become a moment that you could understand
the gravity? Like were you young when you were told
your father was murdered? Did you you know, did your
mom sit you down at an early age? Were you
(07:47):
always wondering like what was that like? Growing up?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
It was.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
It was a weird situation because it was like my
dad was famous where I was from, so I always
heard people talking about your dad or dad dad, but
I never knew. I knew he wasn't there. I knew
he was, you know, gone, but I never knew the
gravity of the situation till my mom just kind of
explained it to me. And I used to listen to
his songs and Lite, and I just wanted to know.
So one time I was very I was very young,
but she kind of just sat there and went until
I could understand, like she kind of told me. And
(08:14):
I still didn't understand till I was about thirteen fourteen.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I still didn't understand. Fifteen fifteen sixteen, I ain't understand.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Like I knew it was going. Ain't affected me, but
I didn't understand like I had God so used to
not having a father.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It was like I don't need you one, you see
what I'm saying, Like, yeah, out of there.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
But I was still like as I got older, it
was like, dang, I needed this. I'm missing this, Like
I'm missingeing that seeing my mama get remarried and see
how seeing how good of a father my stepdad is.
You know what I'm saying to my little brothers, it
was like damn, like this is what it was supposed
to be, Like you know what I'm saying. And as
a kid, I always just dreamed of having stability, And
(08:53):
I think that's the most important thing for a kid ever,
is just having some stability.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And so you know, me and my mom was like
and my mom and my brother, we used to.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Move and we used to move houses a lot, and
I always just wanted that stability. So now being in
a position that we are now and she's managing my
career and all of this is just a blessing because
I remember the positions.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That we used to be in. It just kind of
that kind of made me keep a good hit on
my shoulders too. Ca and my mom won't play I
don't know and.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
No, and she will. She will tell you right away
when you're tripping. And that's what I love so much. Listen,
I you know, I got a very short glimpse when
we were in cann in France, and I adore your
whole family, Like I sat for hours and talked with
(09:41):
your stepdad, and his love for you is deep, is deep,
and for your mom and and for your you know,
your siblings, because you've got some young siblings. But what
I love so much about how you show up in
the world is you bring everyone with you. You bring
your whole family with you, because there's no you without them,
(10:04):
right And you don't see that often anymore.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah, no you don't.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
And it's crazy because I'll be seeing like a lot
of people having stories of where they people take advantage
of them, and they did this and they did that.
So I could understand that. But like my mom, like
I always wanted to dream of taking her places like that,
Like that's the first time I ever been to Europe.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
When we went and came and that I had the
best time my life.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I was still talking about it like months after we went,
like that was truly the best experience I had in
my life, like for.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Real, for real, like I had never witnessed nothing like that.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Like I barely slept, I remember not sleeping, happen to
be up seven in the morning for a.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Panel and then doing it all over again.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
But it was the best time in my life. So
and that experience that we had, we all kind of
left motivated. We kind of left like wow, like we
got a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Of stuff to do.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But I want my mama to experience stuff like that
because I know she come from the same place I
come from.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
My dad he did.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Fifteen years in prison. He probably never thought he would
go to Europe, you know what I'm saying. So I
just like I just want doing the experience with it
as much.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
As I can.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Yeah, And I mean, I think we all have very
unique upbringings, and there's always a moment where you have
that that aha, where it really changes everything. And I'll share.
You know, my family went through a really difficult time.
(11:26):
My dad got into a really bad accident and my
parents really lost everything, and we went on food stamps,
and I remember going to the grocery store with my
mom and there was someone that she knew and she
(11:47):
was so the feeling that I absorbed even as a child,
the pain and embarrassment of pulling out those food stamps
to make sure we eight it shifts. It really did
change everything for me because I was like, Oh, I
(12:08):
don't want my mom to ever experience that again. I
don't want her to ever feel that kind of shame
when she's doing the best she can to provide for
her children alone. And it really does shift how we
move in the world. And from then on, I was like, oh,
fuck this, Like, no, I will for every no, I'm
(12:29):
going to run through a brick wall for every failure,
I'm going to get up seven more times, like and
that's what I tell people when because I had a
crazy mindset, I was a fucking competitor. But it was
literally very different for me because it was like life
or death at that point, because you're providing for people
(12:51):
that have nothing, that have have lost everything.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yeah, now that kind of that kind of was for
me too, just seeing everybody that I love, like you know,
in poverty, you know what.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
I'm saying, Like that can kind of just do something
to you. Especially as a kid you had that mindset
of life.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
First You're like, I don't want to go through this.
But it's like them, like I don't want them to
go through this, Like I don't want to see my
mama struggling.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I don't want to see my grandma struggling. I don't
want to see I just don't want to see this.
So they Dude, I'm telling you, it's that same drive
that's like the It's.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Like damn, they're identical, that same drive that kind of
just pushed me to just go to Great News. It
kind of put you on a blind like you don't
see nothing else but your goal because you know, like
this my.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
One way out, Like this, there's no plan B, there's
no backup, there's no backup plan. This is it I'm
putting I'm putting it all on the line for this,
like it has to be my ticket out. Right. So
so with that the podcast, as you know, it's called
Wide Open. And I always ask this question to all
the guests because it has to do with life and sport.
(13:54):
What moment in your life really split you wide open?
And it could be in sports, it could be in
real life, like what was that one moment that that
literally flage changed it all for you?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
M me, I've seen it was one time, Like I
don't know my mom, she might get.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Mad at this, but she'd be like, like, my mom,
we had just moved to Atlanta and.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
This is I think this about the.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Time she tried to move just for like the rap
game and stuff like that, and like and my mama
don't ask anybody for anything. So the fact that she
was asking somebody for something, like I was like, DANMG,
like she really need this, like.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
And I just seen her like kind of just in
a moment of helplessness and it's like damn, Like it
was just so sad because her mama can't afford to
give her no money, Like she don't.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Come from money, We don't come from generational world.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
My dad is dead, my brother dad is in jail.
Like you know what I'm saying, like we're really living
there stereotypical black family life. And and like we we
we used to live in these houses were like they
was called like show houses, so like you live in them,
they cheaper because you get to live in them until
they sell somebody buy me.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
So it was like show houses.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And one time one sould and then we didn't have
another house to go to, you see what I'm saying.
And that's the first time I kind of seen my
mom break down, like you know what I'm saying, and.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
That it just it just really just was like a
wake up call for me.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It was like we will never be in this position
to get as lung as I can help it, Like
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Eventually, my mama hustle, so she had us in the
house real quick.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
But that moment right there was just like nobody it
was like it was like nobody to go to.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
And my mom, she she just sacrificed everything and in
that moment kind of just showed me like like man, like,
first of all, that taught me nobody gonna come save you.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
So you gotta get up early in the morning and
go get you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
And the second thing was like all I got is
my mom and you know what I'm saying in my family, Yeah,
because nobody was there and nobody you don't want it
to help nobody.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Even though my mama.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Looked pride for she probably you know after that, probably
she probably asked nobody, but nothing else. But you know,
nobody was there, and so I was like, you got
to catch yourself while you falling, And so that kind
of just locked me in. It was like, damn, like
it's this my time. So that was when I say
I was really wide opening.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Well yeah, and I think you know, that's what probably
drives you and makes you such a great performer and
such a great athlete is being able to bear witness
the hard work and sacrifices your family had to make
but also had to find a way. And you and
I know in sports, like you're never going to be
(16:42):
the fastest, you're never going to always be the best,
You're never going to always have the best day. But
like the greatest athletes of all time, find a way
to win, period. They find a way to win even
on their worst fucking days. They figure it out and
they find a way to win. And I really think
that you learn about that through life experiences that either
(17:04):
make you or break you. And I really appreciate and
I love that you said that, and you're vulnerable and
sharing that because some kids choose to do things very
differently and you put you made that your superpower. Yeah,
And I think that'll really carry with you through your
whole career. We'll be right back after this. Where did basketball? Like?
(17:41):
Clearly your father was a rapper and he didn't get
to finish the career he's set to have. And you know,
when you were young, you started going on you know,
different reality shows. You really started taking off on the scene.
You know, by what fourteen, you were already on America's
Got Talent like that. All of these things you're doing
(18:03):
were so incredible. Where the where was basket? Where did
basketball come in?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Basketball?
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I always played basketball. I played basketball before I did music.
I was always into sports.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
It's just I never Savannah so small.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
It was never like a real AAU team like or
real anything on the circuit. And then when I moved
to Atlanta, I was just playing on my best friend
dad team and we was going to tournaments, but it
was the tournaments when we were just getting.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
The last pool, no coaches watching and nothing like this.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
So I was at a point I was just like, man,
I ain't I'm not doing this no more like it
was just fun. Like I was like, I read to
go to La Fitness and play the guys like that's
that's the point I got and I started going to
La Fitnis every day, playing against the guys.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
I didn't train, I didn't do nothing. Then when I
got the high.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
School, I went to go see my best friend game
and they was playing. I was like, man, they sucked
like that. And I was in high school, but I
wasn't in school because I did America's Got Talent.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I did the rap game and they had me homeschool.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
So I'm like, bro, I want to play basketball, like
I want to play these girls like they sucked, Like
you know what I'm saying that. I posted it on
my snapchat. I was like, our garbage, Like if I
was playing, that would be nothing like that. But it's like, dang,
you're not playing. So I told my mom said I
don't want to rap no more like I just.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Want to play basketball. And I don't know what.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Light bulb went off in her head. But she was like,
you're not just gonna quiit rap, like you done built
up a name. You don't you're gonna got fans, Like
you're gonna do both, And I didn't think it was possible.
I'm just like, yo, okay, I'm gonna do both, just
like my mom is still like, I can't do I
gotta focus on one.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
So my mom was really the genius.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
And behind this whole thing because she's like, you're gonna
do both, and I'm sitting here, I'm just saying, Ya'm
gonna be both, just so I can play basketball, okay, ma,
y'all round?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Just so I played basketball.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
But I ended up getting into a routine where I
would train all day, didn't go to the studio at night,
and I just start doing that every day.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
I try and go to La Fitness play studio and
that train let's play. Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Boe finally got into you know, school in high school,
and then that's when everything took off. My stepdad started
calling me big Foe and then everything to start, you know,
making his own. You know, once you get on the path,
you post to the universe and all the magic to
start conspiring and helping everything come together. But my mom
was the genius behind the doing both because I was
(20:11):
still thinking, like I'm not that's not that's impossible.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Well, it's just there's not enough hours in the day
to do what you do. So I still don't know
how you do it. But thank god youth is on
your side, girl, because I'm almost forty. I'm like, I'm
flowing down a little bit.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
I've been feeling it though, Like I could tell the
energy that I had when I was younger, it's not
the same energy that I have right now, especially being
in college and doing all that. So I'm learning now
that less is more, that you got to rest, that
you gotta let your body regenerate. That you can't just
go honey, miles, power power power, You're gonna burn out,
you know what I'm saying. I kind of learned that
and can too, Like you ain't sleep, like you know
(20:51):
what I'm saying, like those four or five days, but
you got to gotta find some naptop or something. But no,
I'm starting to learn my body and understand what I
can and cannot do.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Because I like to do everything. I feel like I'm superwoman.
But at the end of the day.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
I'm still human, but I still like to operate at
a higher level than most people.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
You know what I'm saying. So that's just my drive,
like do something nobody else doing.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, but I truly believe this. You don't get to
the level that you like. I mean, I like to
call people like yourself one percenters, Like you choose to
be exceptional every single day at everything you do. Like
I truly believe this, when you become great, exceptional, extraordinary.
(21:31):
How you do anything is how you do.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
How you do everything. I say that, I'm saying that
in my hand, but oh my god, you're riad in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
My coach Bob Starkey told me that how you do anything,
it's how you do everything.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
And I just started living it like that.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Like even when I go to Target, like I don't
feel like pushing the buggy back, I'm gonna go put
the buggy back, like, because you.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Know, how you do anything? Yeah, do everything. So it's
like those small things, but it's really true on for sure.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I mean it's it's it could be the smallest things.
I tell you, what, if I'm cleaning the floor, I'm
in a I got a toothbrush. I'm in that grout
like I'm it's great. Like some of my friends come
in they're like, are you good, and I'm like, I
just this is how I operate, Like I this is
me so as an athlete an artist. I mean, you've
(22:18):
got this celebrity stat like how how are you figuring
everything out at your age? And you're in this new relationship.
By the way your man's is, I mean, I'm a
gay woman, but he's fine. Honey, you did your you
did He's so yummy. I mean, following y'all on Instagram,
(22:38):
I'm like, this is this is cute, your Christmas pictures,
like all of it, the way you support each other
because he's really successful at football. So I'm like, okay,
So you're you're juggling being an athlete, a fucking incredible
one incredible artist. You know, you now have to go
all over the world because of this celebrity status that
(23:01):
you have. You're in a relationship, you you are arguably well,
you are the highest paid NIL player, which means every
day off you have is work. I'm not an idiot,
I've lived it. Like, how how are you breathing?
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Yeah, I think it's just just balance. You try to balance,
and I tried. I had to learn that I can't
do everything in one day. Like I had to learn
to first of all, get a team and delegate. My
team is very good and just communicating with them about
everything they need to get done. But just like everything
can happen one day, and I have to learn that,
Like I was the type of person I want to
do this, this, this, this, this, can we do it
to day tomorrow to like you.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Know what I'm saying, It's like, you can't do that,
Like you see what I'm saying. So I had to
learn that.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
And then really just like I said earlier, like I
have to rest and just spend my downtime with do
you know what I'm saying, with the people that I
want to be with, and then you know, off days
our work. But you know, I try to keep the nil,
especially in the season, to a minimum, but not at
the end of the day. It's just like you you
make time for what you want, you know what I'm saying,
like and you you prioritize what you want. So that's
(24:06):
kind of where I am with everything, you know what
I'm saying, with school, basketball work and I yeo my
relationship with my family.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
You know, I'll be slacking on some stuff because you
can't really do it all, no, intentionally do it all.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Like you don't intentionally like I have to put have
sticky notes everywhere. I have sticky notes everywhere. I'm just like,
do that, like you know what I'm saying. So you
gotta be intentional about wanting to do it. And this
is what you're gonna give your energy to.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Ye.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
It's interesting you you say that because I just was
watching and I love watching this. Shonda Rhymes did a
graduation like keynote speech and she's she's she's incredible and entertainment. She's, yeah,
she's great.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Great.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Yes, she said something really powerful. And I think a
lot of times we need to remind ourselves about this,
especially as women, because we're always told we're failing. We're
always told we're enough since we were kids, and I
think we inherently we embody those cultural perspectives that we're
(25:17):
not pretty enough, we're not smart enough, we're not fast enough,
we're not enough enough, enough, enough enough. And she said this,
she was like, people always ask how do I do
it all? And immediately she said, I don't because I'm
if I'm being the best mom to my kids, that
means I'm not writing what I need to be writing.
(25:39):
But if I'm writing for Grey's Anatomy after twenty one
years and I'm focused in a room writing for fifteen
to seventeen hours a day, I'm not at home.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
I'm not mom.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
I'm not the best mom. So will it? Would I
ever change it? No? No, because my kids know what
it is. It is like to see a mom work
her fucking ass off, who chooses, like you said, every
single day to be exceptional. But I don't do it all.
I'm always failing at something. It's it's because we don't
(26:14):
have enough time in the day to be the best
at everything. Because if we're focusing on greatness in this area,
that means we're not focusing on this other are. You know,
I've got two very very young kids, and I want
to be there to pick them up from school. I want,
you know, I value nighttime routine and telling stories and
(26:35):
reading books. But I also have to provide for them,
which means it will take me away from them at times,
and I don't like it. So it's like the like
what the fuck is balance? Like everyone talks about balance.
I'm like, I don't even know what that means, but
what I will say is they're learning valuable lessons about
just what you said about your mom, Like I'm real,
(26:56):
I'm honest, I don't sugarcoat it. Then I'm sad and
I'm in pain. I don't pretend i'm not, but I
explain how like life works, and there's happy days, and
there's hard days, and there's sad days, and there's long days,
there's short like all of these things. But I think
you mold your kids into understanding, Like that's fucking respect.
(27:20):
I respect my mom because she did do all of
this when all odds were against it, and I think
that's such a beautiful thing. And what we have to
continue normalizing as women is, yeah, we we don't do
it all. We try to do it all, but we
fail at it, I mean truthfully, Like you put too
(27:42):
much energy into this, and then your partner's like, hello,
can we go on date night? I'm like, like, I
don't know if I have time for that, right right,
So that's so true. It's really interesting, and we have
to normalize that as women and not be so sad
about like maybe not being able to do it all
and failing and saying, oh, that's gonna have to wait,
(28:03):
or I'm going to have to prioritize this, and next
week it's gonna flip and that's okay, right.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
So literally, literally, when I go home to Atlanta and
I'm on break, it's when I do like a lot
of my music and it's like, dang, I want to
spend time with a little brothers bobbing in the studio
from like ten to four in the morning. That and
I didn't want to play at five or six, and
I'm like dang, like I'm tired, like so, and it's
like like I want to spend that quality time. So
I definitely get it. Man, It's definitely a balance. But
(28:30):
I think balance is kind of what you're making your balance,
Like you know what I'm.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Saying, And your balance is not going to be the
same as my balance, and I think that's what makes
us smart and figuring it out. So so with college,
you know, you're playing at LSU, you won, you came
in as a freshman and you won the national national championship,
and you've come into college at such a beautiful time
(28:57):
when nil is literally starting like this is very new.
No one really knows what to make of it. I
mean truthfully at the beginning, and everyone was like this
is such bullshit, Like they're just trying to stop they're
trying to stop players from leaving college early to go
(29:17):
professionally because you don't want to lose like I did
a fifth year and by the time I entered into
the pro draft, I was like, oh, I just fucking
wasted five years of making money. And like, no one
knows how long in their career is Like I I
don't know how, Like no one can predict longevity when
it comes to sports. You could have one injury and
(29:41):
like that's it. So it's it's now that you don't
have like you can prioritize playing, you can prioritize education
all while making money. Like I said, with all the love,
I would never leave, like I would go right back.
I would go right back to college. That was best
time of my life. But how different has that been,
(30:04):
because has it? Like I know, you don't know the difference,
but I'm just wondering if it takes the fun out
of college. Because you're a business woman, Flage, You're like
your business like you make a lot of money and
you're twenty one years old, so how has that changed
or is this just all you know? Like you don't know,
(30:26):
no difference, I'm no different.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
It's it's different for me because I'm more confined. Like
you said earlier, I gotta watch what I do.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
So it's more so like I said, I'm aware of everything.
I think I had to pay. People always say college
the best year of your life. I had the best
time of my life in high school was kind of fame.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I kind of know.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I wasn't famous though I was known, So I still
have fun. I could go to parties, I could go this,
I can. They're like, no, I can't really go nowhere
without security or something like that. So it's not the
same for me as it would be for other college
students life and I don't go out and I don't
party really like things like that, Like I can only
do that when I'm home for real.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
So for me, it's our business. It's our business is
basketball is music. So you know, I say my fun
for the summer, but then again, in the summer, I'm still.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Working or or can and can.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
For the show and show.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
But even you know what I'm saying, I'm still working
so it's like for me, it's different, like I'm more
I would say, I'm more confined, and.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
That's because of me. That's my choice.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
That's my choice one thousand percent, because I know that
just it's just such a short window.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
For me to accomplish everything that I want to accomplish.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
So I just kind of just dial in and was like,
you know what I'm saying, I'm gonna enjoy I'm I'm
gonna enjoy it, but I still gotta work, like I
still gotta make.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Cause I ain't gonna get this opportunity again.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
So I now it's kind of like you look at
college different like some people they look at college like
I had the best time in my life, but that
was your time, Like y'all didn't have you know, yo,
y'alln't have brands of obligations that y'all had to you
know what I'm saying. So now for me, it's just
like I'm just trying to make sure that I stay
on my p's and q's and I'm exploiting this thing
at the best of my ability.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Yeah, and you do it so gracefully, and I think
that that's what makes like it's not you're not that
kind of like person that's really in your face, like
roll out the red carpet for me, Like, You're not
like that at all, which I appreciate. What I'm so
interested is you you come in as a freshman. You know,
(32:29):
you win the national championship, you win what was it,
Freshman of the Year, You're you're playing Angel Reese? Is
she a senior? I think she's a senior? Right, so
she she leaves? And I want to know truthfully, like,
because I know what women's sports is, like, I know
(32:50):
the cat cattiness, I know the competitive drive, I know
the comparison constantly. How hard is it for you to
walk into a locker room of a bunch of women
trying to change their life just like you, who probably
aren't getting these nil deals but putting in the same
(33:12):
amount of time, you know, showing up for practice, having
the same kind of story like is flage? Is it hard?
And what I love about you is you always are
about the team. So I don't want to answer for you,
but I know exactly who you are. But I can
imagine that's fucking hard in a locker room because at
(33:33):
my age, when I'm not intelligently and emotionally evolved at
twenty eighteen years old, and Flage's walking in and I
know the money she's making and I'm not, and you're
on the same team, Like, do you experience that? Do
you ever feel that? Does it ever weigh on you?
(33:53):
Or is it never a problem? Which I find hard
to believe in women sports period, because we're always comparing
ourself to everyone.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Yeah, like I probably say keep it pushing in my
own business because you know, I'm human, So I definitely
feel it or like the energy or something like that.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Like most people, they won't come up to you and
be like, hey, bro, I.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Don't like you kaboo like that have some weird energy
to it. I don't get that, Like you know what
I'm saying. But me, like, I know the type of
person I am, and it ain't like I'm coming here
and I'm like I'm flashing my AMG and my you
know what I'm saying. I'm saying I got this million
dollar deal and I'm and I'm this, and I'm got
no like I really look at myself as you know,
a regular person, cause I am and I'm looking at
(34:32):
like I come here and work hard, like I come
and here day in, day out, two three times a day,
and when I earned this, and I feel like, if
you work for it, you gonna earn it.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Cause that's like the ball favors who the ball favors, you, see.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
What I'm saying. So and I think like, if you
work for it, it's gonna favor you. And so I
try to, Like I have been through a situation that
I talk to my mom my stepdad about and just
be like, like, how do I navigate this? Like cause
like I ain't do nothing, like you know what I'm saying,
But it's just like its just come with it.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
And my mom and my dad telling me any space
that you this is.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Just preparing you for when you go into you know,
the music space and you start dominating there. You're gonna
have people that don't like you for nor reason there.
So you kind of gotta just still be you. And
I just try to just stay humble because I know
that I work for this and I know I deserve you.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I know that I do right by people, So I
don't really think about it too much because I know
my heart, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
If you know how you are and how you treat
people and how they feel is a reflection of them,
you know.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Yeah, and anyone who spends enough time with you knows
that like it. It's very very clear, And I respect
that so so much. I respect you so much because
that is the way you carry yourself. Stick around. I'll
be back with more on Wide Open right after this. Now.
(36:01):
I love that you have the ability to really like
you and your mom are super close and the banter
between you, like you should have your own television show.
So I don't know, like I don't know how that's
not in the works, But some of the banter like
kills me, Like it is so funny. How is it
working with your mom all the time on a professional level.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Yeah, it need to be a show people don't want
to pay off. But nah, it's just very fun.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Like we had to figure out, like from when I
was younger, so when I got older, Like we had
to figure out that dynamic of being a mom and
being a manager. Like you know what I'm saying, And
I'm like, you be a bomb right now, Like you
know what I'm saying, you don't need to be my
manager and telling me to do this, so I kind
of we just kind of had to go through that
phase of like really getting mad at each other and
not talking to each other for a long time and
really just like sucking it up and apologizing. But now,
(36:53):
you know, I don't look at her from what she
says as a mom. I kind of look at her
what she says like, you know, one of the best
managers or her profession, because the thing that she has
done for me, she got to be one of the best.
So you know, I kind of look at it from
that way and just don't get offenidhed like every kid
get offended when they mama say so late.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
No, I'm won't bother to be right.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
But at the end of the day, I had started
learning like, yeah, sometimes I right, but most of the
time she right too.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
So just kind of just putting the ego.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
And pride to side and just getting a job done
because I know, at the end of the day, nobody
gonna go as hard for me as my mom gonna
go for me, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
So that's just the best person that I could have
on my side.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yeah, I hear that. And the way your career has
really taken off, especially in twenty twenty four. I mean,
you're collaborating with Lil Wayne? Are you fucking kidding me?
That is in one weekend, you had your birthday, you
turned twenty one, you you were in it was at
New Orleans. Were you on stage with Little Wayne? And
(37:50):
you had your home opening game? Right for this year,
for your season twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five season,
I was like, people, wait to fucking lifetime for your
one weekend all right?
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Right?
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Like I was like, she's on fire. What is it
like being you know, being flage at this but this
present moment where you're collaborating with such an icon in
the industry, Like did you fucking shit yourself? Or were you?
Like I'm I was meant for this, Let's go. I've
(38:25):
been doing this since I was twelve.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Both because you don't never get used to being with
Lil Wayne, you know what I'm saying, and him kind
of embracing you like that was crazy.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
One of the greatest roubles of all time, if not
the greatest. So being like that's I still don't see.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
That's the thing about me, Like I don't really basking
my accomplishments, and I don't know why I never get
a chance to really feel it, like you know what
I'm saying, But probably because I'm always trying to like
focus on the next thing. But I never really just
sit and be like, wow, like what you did was great,
but I don't like the way.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
You just explained it.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
That do sound pretty crazy, but not man just performing
at the Espi's him being there shooting the video with
him there, like all of that was crazy, and he
still I got his numbrocer column anytime.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
He just like hit me like that's crazy, Like you know.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
That's Wayne, like d Wayne d Lil Wayne. And so
I don't know it's a blessing anything that I man.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Man like.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
It just just goes to show the trajectory of the
path that I'm on because I did all that before
I turned twenty one, you know, and so I just
got to keep dominating, keep doing my thing.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
Yeah, And what I'll say is you just you just
said something really really interesting as someone who's retired and
struggles a lot with what you just said, and I
think it's important to like unpack that a little bit
for our puzzle. I went to do a panel on
(39:49):
Joy with Deepak and I was very honest and vulnerable
and said, I have been so conditioned to suffer and
be excellent at my job for so long it has
altered what I feel joy is because as an athlete
(40:10):
who is exceptional, you're unable to sit and enjoy any
moment because someone will pass you. So you as soon
as you win something, it's a mindset, inherent mindset as
an athlete to say, Okay, what's next, Like I could.
I won the World Cup and it was like I
enjoyed it for two point three seconds, and I was like,
(40:31):
what's next. We got the Olympics next year, let's fucking go.
I gotta make that roster, I gotta make that money,
I gotta make this bl blah bah blah blah blah.
And it's like, I like, think back to my career
and sometimes I'm like, did I fucking enjoy it? So
what I'll say is I hear you because I've lived it.
But at twenty one, you have done incredible things that
(40:53):
people do not experience in a lifetime. And I hope
you learn the value of joy because it goes by quick.
And I don't want you to be so conditioned to
suffer that you don't enjoy the ride.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Right right, Yeah, and and and that's a thousand percent.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
This is a thousand percent. That's just the mindset that
you have. And it's like you have to have that
so you don't get complacent, you know. But the day
it's like, I don't know, it.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Kind of kind of suppressed that other feeling, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Yeah, yeah, I know. It's a it's a it's a
grind doing what we do, and it's very lonely. It's
a very lonely road that people do not understand because
you have to be selfish, you have to have an ego,
you have to kind of like pull yourself away from
the pack to focus on the job at hand. It's
(41:49):
like you it's a very unique lonely life. I think
people don't understand you miss everything. I missed everything. I
didn't get to see all of my friend's weddings. I
didn't get to see birthdays, I didn't get to see
births we like anything, I was so selfish in my
entire career. I barely have a relationship with my brother
(42:12):
and my parents. And it's I'm having to repair that now, yeah,
which is going to take time. It's going to take time,
and I hope you're you know, you're doing things differently
and you bring your family along with you, And I
envy it because I did. I made mistakes. I made mistakes,
(42:33):
and I think sharing that and being vulnerable about it
is important. And I think you're showing people a different
way of doing it. And look how it's paying off.
I mean, it's it's been incredible to be a small
part of it, to watch your success over these last
few years.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Thank you ya.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I think for me while my little brothers, like that's
the main thing.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Like I don't have no choice but to miss birthdays
and Halloween's and all that. I don't want to miss that,
Like you.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Know what I'm saying, Like I'm not that's not you
know what I'm saying, Like I don't want to miss
that in it. That was the hardest part for me
to come to college and being a firstman, just being
away from my family because even when I was home,
I wasn't always home, but I was more there, like
seeing them grow up, eve know, working out three four
times a day, I still got the quality time with them.
(43:26):
And then when you going to college, it's like dangn
like you missing this and I don't want to be
eighteen years old and now they already grown and it's
stuck in their ways and I don't even really know
if I don't want to be like this. So that's
why I'm just I try to make sure they come
as much as they can and everything like that.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, And I think also, I'm gonna just keep sharing
little stories about you know, following you on social media.
There's one like image that's burned in my brain is
when you walk your little You have two little brothers, right,
I got four? Four?
Speaker 2 (44:01):
Two?
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Are they? What are the youngest two? The one that
always competing?
Speaker 2 (44:05):
Oh, MJ and Aiden?
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Yeah? And I saw you walk them to the bus
stop for school and you see them their back you
know they're young, you know, their backpacks bigger than their body.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Right.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
But for me, I had like this moment of she
has a million things going on in her life. She
probably was up all night doing god knows what music,
all the things to catch up, and then she still
wakes up at the ass kraka dawn to walk her
little brothers to the school bus because you know how
(44:43):
much that means to them. And I'm like, oh, she's
the real deal, Like that's who you are.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
Yeah, yeah, And I know, and I'm like, I know,
I don't get to see them, so when I am there,
I try to do as much as I can.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Like just taking them to school.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
They don't remember, like you know, dang, I remember when
flight to take us to the bus stop. We used
to race and stuff like that, you know what I'm saying,
Or to go up there, and I just.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Pick him up early, even if my Mama don't want
me to go places and stuff like that, because I
know that the time that I have with him.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Is so precious, is so limited, you know, And the
lifestyle that I want to live, I know I'll be
going more, especially when I get out of college, you
know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
Saying, doing music, all types of stuff like this.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
So I've tried to kind of just cherish that time
because it goes so quick. Like I remember, I used
to change my brother Nixon diapers and now he's like
tallmost tall as me. So time goes by so fast.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
It's so true. So what's next, like Flage, I mean,
you've checked so many boxes. I don't know. I mean,
your goals must be endless at this point, but what's
next for you?
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Like?
Speaker 1 (45:46):
What do you You're a junior at school right now? You
are you know, I know you're hunting another national championship.
You had a new album release, which I have all
the March work work, But what's next for you?
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Like?
Speaker 1 (46:01):
What? What is what? What's the biggest drive in this moment?
Are you interested in going to the w NBA in
twenty twenty five? Are you? Like? What is it?
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Like?
Speaker 1 (46:15):
This is possibility? Abilities are endless for you.
Speaker 3 (46:19):
I know the possibilities are endless, but I tell you
the real answers. I don't know, Like I've been in
a spot where I've kind of just like been trying
to just focus on like my mental health. I think
(46:41):
for me, I have to get back to a spot
of like joy, you know what I'm saying like that,
And I just really don't know what that looks like
right now. I know, like I just keep I know,
I wake up, go to the gym, do everything, because
that's my routine. But I want to find joy back
into the small things. So that's kind of like what
(47:03):
I'm working on and just letting things flow and not
kind of putting the pressure on it, like.
Speaker 2 (47:09):
Like it's things that I want to do.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
I know I want to do, especially pursuing, But I've
learned that those tasks, like those big things that we do,
that's not really the things that.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
Keep us like going and happy and motivated.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
Like those those are part of the story, but it's
the little stuff that you do every day that kind
of make you happy and that give you joy. So
that's the thing that I'm kind of working on right now. Like,
you know, the intangibles I like to call them, not
the stuff that I could touch or the things that
I could feel, but the things that I can't the
things that I'm trying to grasp but I can't, you
know what I'm saying. So I've really been in that
(47:42):
spot for real, like and I'm in a spot of
like reflection, a period of reflection. I think as the year,
the old year just went away, you know what I'm saying,
the new year came. I'm just in a spot reflecting
on how I can be better, how I can make
things better, and how I could just be understanding more
and take my mindset.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Like that's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Wow, powerful at your age too understand that, like is
incredible and you have to take care of yourself through
this process because so many people are gonna want so
many things from you. And I have no doubt you
have the best team around you and everyone rooting for you,
(48:25):
but like you know, like yourself better than anyone else,
and prioritizing your mental health is key because you potentially
could be doing this for a very very long time. Yeah,
and if you don't have joy and this one chance
and one shot we have and none of us know
(48:47):
when our time's up. Finding and holding on to that
is something like you're gonna have to do over and
over and over in your career, Like it's this isn't
going to be the only time where you have to
sit back and reflect and say what is my why?
Speaker 2 (49:05):
Why?
Speaker 1 (49:05):
Why do I do this?
Speaker 2 (49:06):
Like?
Speaker 1 (49:07):
Why am I doing this if I don't feel anything?
So I'm happy to hear you are prioritizing your mental health.
And I'm curious when you say that, like what does
joy look like for you right now off the field,
Like what things are you holding on to that that
reminds you of your why?
Speaker 2 (49:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (49:27):
No, Me and my brother was kind of just talking
about this, and he said, like he had these small off.
Speaker 2 (49:31):
Days where he just do all the things that he
loved to do.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
Like he'll go clean up and then he'll go, you
know what I'm saying, see a movie, or he'll go
to his favorite restaurant and grab a meal and just
have a date with hisself and things like that. So
I gotta really like find out like those small things.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
But it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
The things that make me happy is the things that
I really do, like music, Like I like to record music,
and I haven't recorded a long time, and I just
came to my.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
Studio and I'm like, dang, I got music, Like I
can record, like you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
So now I think it's just finding the small loving
the things it is.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (50:04):
Like That's why I say who you haven't like, who
you have around is important because.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Especially for people who are humble, they tend to forget.
Speaker 3 (50:12):
Who they are, you know what I'm saying, And that
this and you it's like it's great to be humble,
don't get me wrong, but you still got to have
people around you who can remind you who you are.
You know what I'm saying, Like you can do this,
like you capable of this, Like you know what I'm
saying you are still that you are the same.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
Person, you know what I'm saying, in that type of realm.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
So I think that's where I'm at right now, because
I know I love That's why I love waking up
in the morning and getting shots. So when it started
turning into just a routine for me and I wasn't
being intentional about it, and I'm like, Okay, I have
to figure out a different approach to this.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
And now that doing that, my outcome being better at
my mindset being better than i've been, feeling more motivated.
So it's just about now putting my pen to the pad,
sitting at a desk and really just reflecting on what
I want to do and what that looks like and
kind of visualizing that because I'm a visual person.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
So that's where I'm right now.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
Wow, Well you are wise beyond your years, I'll tell
you that, and you've got such a great head on
your shoulders. So I am so happy you chose to
come on. I am really hopeful and I look forward
to continue watching you through the twenty twenty five season.
I want you to win this national championship. I want
(51:23):
you to win in life period. I want you to
enjoy it. At the same time. You got that big,
beautiful smile and you bring it into every room. And
I love that our paths continue to cross, and I'm
grateful for you, know, the times that we get to
spend together, because thank you and your family are the
(51:44):
real deal. And I think you're going to really do
some big things in your life and I can't wait
to support that. So thank you for being so wide open.
Thank you for being a guest on the podcast. And
I know you have your own podcast. I know you
have all these things going for you. Do you want
to tell the viewers and the listeners where they can
(52:06):
find you your new album, your podcasts? Like promote yourself
honey man.
Speaker 3 (52:12):
Yeah, y'all can follow me on all of my social
media's at flage A f L A U j A E.
I got music out right now. I just dropped the song.
Of course, I got the song a little Wayne, but
I just dropped best of both worlds.
Speaker 2 (52:25):
Y'all can buy my jerseys and support my Nio festivities
that have going on. It's all in my bio on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
But now I really want to say thank you and
you know, I really genuinely you know, ever since we
love Can just been following you and your family and
I just love everything you do. So it was a
blessing to be on the podcast.
Speaker 1 (52:42):
Oh thanks Flage, and I account me count I will
be at one of your games by the end of
this season. So hold me to it, everyone, everyone, hold
me to it. Sophia keeps talking about it. She wants
to you know, Sofia and your mom. I thought I
had to pull them apart at one point. I'm like, yeah,
(53:03):
like they are two peas in a pod, So you gotta.
We're going to get the whole family out there supporting you,
and we really look forward to it. Best of luck
for the rest of the season, and say hi to
your mom for me.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
I got you, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (53:18):
Thanks for coming on for sure. Wide Open with Ashland
Harris is an iHeart women's sports production. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts. Our producers are Carmen Borca Correo, Emily Maronov,
(53:38):
and Lucy Jones. Production assistants from Malia Aguidello. Our executive
producers are Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our
editors are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder, and I'm your
host Ashlyn Harris.
All righty, Welcome back everybody to a new week of
Wide Open with Ashland Harris. I am so excited to
have the one and only Flage Johnson on today's episode.
Flage plays for the LSU women's basketball team. She is
now a phenom rapper, activist, entrepreneur. I mean, you name it, girl.
(00:36):
You are just crushing the scene right now. I'm so
proud of you. Recently signed with jay Z's record label
Rock Nation. Let's go, honey, you are You're it, You're
on fire. How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Thank you? I'm good, I'm good, super good. I'm happy
to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Should I be your hype woman all the time? When
I introduce you?
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Yeah, for sure, just like that. That was perfect.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
You. You are so wise and so smart and have
such a good head on your shoulders. Every time I realize,
I mean you just turn twenty one and what November? Yeah,
I'm like, oh. The first time I met you, I
was like, oh, I remember when I was that age
in college, Like I was not that smart and put together.
(01:21):
I was like, what bar am I going to? Am
I dancing on the table? No one can see no
social media? Am I wearing sweats to that bar? Like
You're just so much more advanced at your age than
a lot of players during my generation who were in college,
because you have to be, like you're a business woman
(01:44):
at twenty one years old, Like that is incredible.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
Yeah, No, I think, no, definitely have to be.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
It's just like I have so many different opportunities for myself,
and I know it's only like a short window of.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
College, you know what I'm saying. It's a very short
window because I was just a freshman that I'm a junior.
So it's like you have.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
To maximize your time and and like what you put
your energy into. But I know I'm really trying to
build something for my future, you know, And I know
where I want to be and where I want to go.
So I always just I always kind of have that
mindset though of like I just want to do some
special So I know it's certain things that you can
do and you cannot do.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And I've just been trying to read and learn a.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Lot because you could just learn from, you know, other
people's mistakes and what they do.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
And that's what I try to do.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
And I love that. And it's something I always talk
about often, is when you live life through the lens
of young star like your star and your own right
and you're building and everything is put on camera and
social media, like it's just a it's a you're living
in a different world right now than a lot of us.
(02:49):
So like you can't make mistakes the mistakes you make.
Everyone seats for me. I like I could fly under
the radar at your age and I could do reckless
shit truthfully and get away with it. Y'all can't get
away with that anymore because this cancel culture social media
like era, you got a lot of people looking at
(03:10):
your every single move.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, no, definitely, and that's why I always got a
good head on my shoulders. But also people around me,
like because MOOKI said all the time, like you know
what I'm saying, If y'all going out, y'all, you know
there's phones everywhere.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
You gotta drink in your hand and you underage, you
know what I'm.
Speaker 3 (03:25):
Saying, Like you, she doesn't play that, but she'd be
just like you gotta watch who you surrounded by and
who you with like and who watching you.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
Because now that we in.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
AyL like we got in IL, it's like more so
we like professionals now like we get paid to play basketball,
so it's like you gotta act like a professional, like
you know what I'm saying, Whether you this age or not,
that's how people view you.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Well, yeah, I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
So I think I think it's just important to just
be aware.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And that's why I think a lot of kids aren't
aware for real, for real, just aware.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Well you're you're now representing brands, your brands, ambassadors, your
partnerships matter. It's how you carry yourself, how the public
eye sees you. But most importantly, all these young players
that come to your games, like they have access to
you now that they didn't have to us when we
were in college and before we dive into your success
(04:17):
here now in the present, I want to know about
Flage as a kid, as a baby, the origin story,
because what I was, you know, I met you last year.
We got to spend some quality time together. Yeah I remember,
you know, And this is when I wasn't around you,
(04:38):
I was speaking so highly of you and how you
carried yourself and your mom. Like you guys are just
so humble and good people and genuine and you all
have such a great head on your shoulders and like
how you show up in the world matters, community matters
to you. It's more than just the basketball, the you know,
(05:01):
the music career. It's really how you move in the
world and how you show up just being Flage, which
I loved so much about you, and it became your
your energy was so infectious. I just think you're really
changing the landscape and diversifying and your savviness and business
(05:23):
and education really separate you from the pack. And it's
probably why you're making so much damn money. So go on,
go on, Kia, I mean really I like Kia. By
the way, everyone is Flage's mom and we call her
the nil Mamager.
Speaker 2 (05:42):
Yeah, that's that's where she'd go.
Speaker 3 (05:44):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
So so tell me about the origin story. Tell me
about who you were as a kid, Like, where did
all of this, you know, grit and hunger to be
successful come from?
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Yeah? I mean I would have to say it came
from my mom.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
You know, before I was born. My dad, he was
murdered before before I was born. So I always like
to say my story kind of started before I was born.
And I always just seen my mom just working hard.
I always seen her working hard. I always just seen
her making things happen. Like if it's anything that I
ever wanted, it was nothing that I never had because
she was always like, yeah, I'm gonna make this happen. So,
you know, some kids that could get spoiled by that,
(06:21):
but me, I just kind of adapted to that mentality
of like, if I want something, I'm gonna go get.
Speaker 2 (06:25):
It like and I'm not gonna take no for an answer.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
And I just seen my mama get to it, like
I seen her get to it, and I seen her hustor,
and I was just I was lucky to have a
mom like that because if I didn't. You know, my
mom she quit her job so that she could move
up to Atlanta and I could have a better rap
career when I was about like twelve thirteen years old,
Like what is a girl, a little girl raper gonna
(06:48):
do at twelve thirteen years old? But she always had
that vision, like you know what I'm saying, before the
sports basketball even happening. So and then just coming from Savannah, Georgia,
I feel like Savannah, Georgia is a small town, small city.
You see people doing the same thing that they did
when I was kids, Like they're still doing the same thing.
You see what I'm saying, so I just never wanted
to get left in that stay in that. I always
wanted to leave and bring resources back to the city.
(07:11):
So you know that that kind of has a hold
on me too, Savannah, for sure. And I never just
the city just kind of haunted me just because that's
where my dad was from and that's where he was murdered,
and I just kind of wanted to get out of that,
and I wanted to be successful because of that.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
Oh I love that. And is that like when did
when did this become a moment that you could understand
the gravity? Like were you young when you were told
your father was murdered? Did you you know, did your
mom sit you down at an early age? Were you
(07:47):
always wondering like what was that like? Growing up?
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (07:52):
It was.
Speaker 3 (07:52):
It was a weird situation because it was like my
dad was famous where I was from, so I always
heard people talking about your dad or dad dad, but
I never knew. I knew he wasn't there. I knew
he was, you know, gone, but I never knew the
gravity of the situation till my mom just kind of
explained it to me. And I used to listen to
his songs and Lite, and I just wanted to know.
So one time I was very I was very young,
but she kind of just sat there and went until
I could understand, like she kind of told me. And
(08:14):
I still didn't understand till I was about thirteen fourteen.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I still didn't understand. Fifteen fifteen sixteen, I ain't understand.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Like I knew it was going. Ain't affected me, but
I didn't understand like I had God so used to
not having a father.
Speaker 2 (08:27):
It was like I don't need you one, you see
what I'm saying, Like, yeah, out of there.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
But I was still like as I got older, it
was like, dang, I needed this. I'm missing this, Like
I'm missingeing that seeing my mama get remarried and see
how seeing how good of a father my stepdad is.
You know what I'm saying to my little brothers, it
was like damn, like this is what it was supposed
to be, Like you know what I'm saying. And as
a kid, I always just dreamed of having stability, And
(08:53):
I think that's the most important thing for a kid ever,
is just having some stability.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
And so you know, me and my mom was like
and my mom and my brother, we used to.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Move and we used to move houses a lot, and
I always just wanted that stability. So now being in
a position that we are now and she's managing my
career and all of this is just a blessing because
I remember the positions.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
That we used to be in. It just kind of
that kind of made me keep a good hit on
my shoulders too. Ca and my mom won't play I
don't know and.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
No, and she will. She will tell you right away
when you're tripping. And that's what I love so much. Listen,
I you know, I got a very short glimpse when
we were in cann in France, and I adore your
whole family, Like I sat for hours and talked with
(09:41):
your stepdad, and his love for you is deep, is deep,
and for your mom and and for your you know,
your siblings, because you've got some young siblings. But what
I love so much about how you show up in
the world is you bring everyone with you. You bring
your whole family with you, because there's no you without them,
(10:04):
right And you don't see that often anymore.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Yeah, no you don't.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
And it's crazy because I'll be seeing like a lot
of people having stories of where they people take advantage
of them, and they did this and they did that.
So I could understand that. But like my mom, like
I always wanted to dream of taking her places like that,
Like that's the first time I ever been to Europe.
Speaker 2 (10:23):
When we went and came and that I had the
best time my life.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I was still talking about it like months after we went,
like that was truly the best experience I had in
my life, like for.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Real, for real, like I had never witnessed nothing like that.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Like I barely slept, I remember not sleeping, happen to
be up seven in the morning for a.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Panel and then doing it all over again.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
But it was the best time in my life. So
and that experience that we had, we all kind of
left motivated. We kind of left like wow, like we
got a lot.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Of stuff to do.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But I want my mama to experience stuff like that
because I know she come from the same place I
come from.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
My dad he did.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Fifteen years in prison. He probably never thought he would
go to Europe, you know what I'm saying. So I
just like I just want doing the experience with it
as much.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
As I can.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Yeah, And I mean, I think we all have very
unique upbringings, and there's always a moment where you have
that that aha, where it really changes everything. And I'll share.
You know, my family went through a really difficult time.
(11:26):
My dad got into a really bad accident and my
parents really lost everything, and we went on food stamps,
and I remember going to the grocery store with my
mom and there was someone that she knew and she
(11:47):
was so the feeling that I absorbed even as a child,
the pain and embarrassment of pulling out those food stamps
to make sure we eight it shifts. It really did
change everything for me because I was like, Oh, I
(12:08):
don't want my mom to ever experience that again. I
don't want her to ever feel that kind of shame
when she's doing the best she can to provide for
her children alone. And it really does shift how we
move in the world. And from then on, I was like, oh,
fuck this, Like, no, I will for every no, I'm
(12:29):
going to run through a brick wall for every failure,
I'm going to get up seven more times, like and
that's what I tell people when because I had a
crazy mindset, I was a fucking competitor. But it was
literally very different for me because it was like life
or death at that point, because you're providing for people
(12:51):
that have nothing, that have have lost everything.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
Yeah, now that kind of that kind of was for
me too, just seeing everybody that I love, like you know,
in poverty, you know what.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
I'm saying, Like that can kind of just do something
to you. Especially as a kid you had that mindset
of life.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
First You're like, I don't want to go through this.
But it's like them, like I don't want them to
go through this, Like I don't want to see my
mama struggling.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
I don't want to see my grandma struggling. I don't
want to see I just don't want to see this.
So they Dude, I'm telling you, it's that same drive
that's like the It's.
Speaker 3 (13:20):
Like damn, they're identical, that same drive that kind of
just pushed me to just go to Great News. It
kind of put you on a blind like you don't
see nothing else but your goal because you know, like
this my.
Speaker 1 (13:29):
One way out, Like this, there's no plan B, there's
no backup, there's no backup plan. This is it I'm
putting I'm putting it all on the line for this,
like it has to be my ticket out. Right. So
so with that the podcast, as you know, it's called
Wide Open. And I always ask this question to all
the guests because it has to do with life and sport.
(13:54):
What moment in your life really split you wide open?
And it could be in sports, it could be in
real life, like what was that one moment that that
literally flage changed it all for you?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
M me, I've seen it was one time, Like I
don't know my mom, she might get.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Mad at this, but she'd be like, like, my mom,
we had just moved to Atlanta and.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
This is I think this about the.
Speaker 3 (14:21):
Time she tried to move just for like the rap
game and stuff like that, and like and my mama
don't ask anybody for anything. So the fact that she
was asking somebody for something, like I was like, DANMG,
like she really need this, like.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
And I just seen her like kind of just in
a moment of helplessness and it's like damn, Like it
was just so sad because her mama can't afford to
give her no money, Like she don't.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Come from money, We don't come from generational world.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
My dad is dead, my brother dad is in jail.
Like you know what I'm saying, like we're really living
there stereotypical black family life. And and like we we
we used to live in these houses were like they
was called like show houses, so like you live in them,
they cheaper because you get to live in them until
they sell somebody buy me.
Speaker 2 (15:08):
So it was like show houses.
Speaker 3 (15:09):
And one time one sould and then we didn't have
another house to go to, you see what I'm saying.
And that's the first time I kind of seen my
mom break down, like you know what I'm saying, and.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
That it just it just really just was like a
wake up call for me.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
It was like we will never be in this position
to get as lung as I can help it, Like
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Eventually, my mama hustle, so she had us in the
house real quick.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
But that moment right there was just like nobody it
was like it was like nobody to go to.
Speaker 2 (15:35):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
And my mom, she she just sacrificed everything and in
that moment kind of just showed me like like man, like,
first of all, that taught me nobody gonna come save you.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
So you gotta get up early in the morning and
go get you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
And the second thing was like all I got is
my mom and you know what I'm saying in my family, Yeah,
because nobody was there and nobody you don't want it
to help nobody.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Even though my mama.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
Looked pride for she probably you know after that, probably
she probably asked nobody, but nothing else. But you know,
nobody was there, and so I was like, you got
to catch yourself while you falling, And so that kind
of just locked me in. It was like, damn, like
it's this my time. So that was when I say
I was really wide opening.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
Well yeah, and I think you know, that's what probably
drives you and makes you such a great performer and
such a great athlete is being able to bear witness
the hard work and sacrifices your family had to make
but also had to find a way. And you and
I know in sports, like you're never going to be
(16:42):
the fastest, you're never going to always be the best,
You're never going to always have the best day. But
like the greatest athletes of all time, find a way
to win, period. They find a way to win even
on their worst fucking days. They figure it out and
they find a way to win. And I really think
that you learn about that through life experiences that either
(17:04):
make you or break you. And I really appreciate and
I love that you said that, and you're vulnerable and
sharing that because some kids choose to do things very
differently and you put you made that your superpower. Yeah,
And I think that'll really carry with you through your
whole career. We'll be right back after this. Where did basketball? Like?
(17:41):
Clearly your father was a rapper and he didn't get
to finish the career he's set to have. And you know,
when you were young, you started going on you know,
different reality shows. You really started taking off on the scene.
You know, by what fourteen, you were already on America's
Got Talent like that. All of these things you're doing
(18:03):
were so incredible. Where the where was basket? Where did
basketball come in?
Speaker 2 (18:07):
Basketball?
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I always played basketball. I played basketball before I did music.
I was always into sports.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
It's just I never Savannah so small.
Speaker 3 (18:15):
It was never like a real AAU team like or
real anything on the circuit. And then when I moved
to Atlanta, I was just playing on my best friend
dad team and we was going to tournaments, but it
was the tournaments when we were just getting.
Speaker 2 (18:26):
The last pool, no coaches watching and nothing like this.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
So I was at a point I was just like, man,
I ain't I'm not doing this no more like it
was just fun. Like I was like, I read to
go to La Fitness and play the guys like that's
that's the point I got and I started going to
La Fitnis every day, playing against the guys.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
I didn't train, I didn't do nothing. Then when I
got the high.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
School, I went to go see my best friend game
and they was playing. I was like, man, they sucked
like that. And I was in high school, but I
wasn't in school because I did America's Got Talent.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
I did the rap game and they had me homeschool.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
So I'm like, bro, I want to play basketball, like
I want to play these girls like they sucked, Like
you know what I'm saying that. I posted it on
my snapchat. I was like, our garbage, Like if I
was playing, that would be nothing like that. But it's like, dang,
you're not playing. So I told my mom said I
don't want to rap no more like I just.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Want to play basketball. And I don't know what.
Speaker 3 (19:13):
Light bulb went off in her head. But she was like,
you're not just gonna quiit rap, like you done built
up a name. You don't you're gonna got fans, Like
you're gonna do both, And I didn't think it was possible.
I'm just like, yo, okay, I'm gonna do both, just
like my mom is still like, I can't do I
gotta focus on one.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
So my mom was really the genius.
Speaker 3 (19:31):
And behind this whole thing because she's like, you're gonna
do both, and I'm sitting here, I'm just saying, Ya'm
gonna be both, just so I can play basketball, okay, ma,
y'all round?
Speaker 2 (19:38):
Just so I played basketball.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
But I ended up getting into a routine where I
would train all day, didn't go to the studio at night,
and I just start doing that every day.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
I try and go to La Fitness play studio and
that train let's play. Okay.
Speaker 3 (19:50):
Boe finally got into you know, school in high school,
and then that's when everything took off. My stepdad started
calling me big Foe and then everything to start, you know,
making his own. You know, once you get on the path,
you post to the universe and all the magic to
start conspiring and helping everything come together. But my mom
was the genius behind the doing both because I was
(20:11):
still thinking, like I'm not that's not that's impossible.
Speaker 1 (20:14):
Well, it's just there's not enough hours in the day
to do what you do. So I still don't know
how you do it. But thank god youth is on
your side, girl, because I'm almost forty. I'm like, I'm
flowing down a little bit.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Man.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
I've been feeling it though, Like I could tell the
energy that I had when I was younger, it's not
the same energy that I have right now, especially being
in college and doing all that. So I'm learning now
that less is more, that you got to rest, that
you gotta let your body regenerate. That you can't just
go honey, miles, power power power, You're gonna burn out,
you know what I'm saying. I kind of learned that
and can too, Like you ain't sleep, like you know
(20:51):
what I'm saying, like those four or five days, but
you got to gotta find some naptop or something. But no,
I'm starting to learn my body and understand what I
can and cannot do.
Speaker 2 (20:59):
Because I like to do everything. I feel like I'm superwoman.
But at the end of the day.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
I'm still human, but I still like to operate at
a higher level than most people.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
You know what I'm saying. So that's just my drive,
like do something nobody else doing.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, but I truly believe this. You don't get to
the level that you like. I mean, I like to
call people like yourself one percenters, Like you choose to
be exceptional every single day at everything you do. Like
I truly believe this, when you become great, exceptional, extraordinary.
(21:31):
How you do anything is how you do.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
How you do everything. I say that, I'm saying that
in my hand, but oh my god, you're riad in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
I'm telling you.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
My coach Bob Starkey told me that how you do anything,
it's how you do everything.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
And I just started living it like that.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Like even when I go to Target, like I don't
feel like pushing the buggy back, I'm gonna go put
the buggy back, like, because you.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Know, how you do anything? Yeah, do everything. So it's
like those small things, but it's really true on for sure.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
I mean it's it's it could be the smallest things.
I tell you, what, if I'm cleaning the floor, I'm
in a I got a toothbrush. I'm in that grout
like I'm it's great. Like some of my friends come
in they're like, are you good, and I'm like, I
just this is how I operate, Like I this is
me so as an athlete an artist. I mean, you've
(22:18):
got this celebrity stat like how how are you figuring
everything out at your age? And you're in this new relationship.
By the way your man's is, I mean, I'm a
gay woman, but he's fine. Honey, you did your you
did He's so yummy. I mean, following y'all on Instagram,
(22:38):
I'm like, this is this is cute, your Christmas pictures,
like all of it, the way you support each other
because he's really successful at football. So I'm like, okay,
So you're you're juggling being an athlete, a fucking incredible
one incredible artist. You know, you now have to go
all over the world because of this celebrity status that
(23:01):
you have. You're in a relationship, you you are arguably well,
you are the highest paid NIL player, which means every
day off you have is work. I'm not an idiot,
I've lived it. Like, how how are you breathing?
Speaker 3 (23:19):
Yeah, I think it's just just balance. You try to balance,
and I tried. I had to learn that I can't
do everything in one day. Like I had to learn
to first of all, get a team and delegate. My
team is very good and just communicating with them about
everything they need to get done. But just like everything
can happen one day, and I have to learn that,
Like I was the type of person I want to
do this, this, this, this, this, can we do it
to day tomorrow to like you.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Know what I'm saying, It's like, you can't do that,
Like you see what I'm saying. So I had to
learn that.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
And then really just like I said earlier, like I
have to rest and just spend my downtime with do
you know what I'm saying, with the people that I
want to be with, and then you know, off days
our work. But you know, I try to keep the nil,
especially in the season, to a minimum, but not at
the end of the day. It's just like you you
make time for what you want, you know what I'm saying,
like and you you prioritize what you want. So that's
(24:06):
kind of where I am with everything, you know what
I'm saying, with school, basketball work and I yeo my
relationship with my family.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
You know, I'll be slacking on some stuff because you
can't really do it all, no, intentionally do it all.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Like you don't intentionally like I have to put have
sticky notes everywhere. I have sticky notes everywhere. I'm just like,
do that, like you know what I'm saying. So you
gotta be intentional about wanting to do it. And this
is what you're gonna give your energy to.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Ye.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
It's interesting you you say that because I just was
watching and I love watching this. Shonda Rhymes did a
graduation like keynote speech and she's she's she's incredible and entertainment. She's, yeah,
she's great.
Speaker 2 (24:52):
Great.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Yes, she said something really powerful. And I think a
lot of times we need to remind ourselves about this,
especially as women, because we're always told we're failing. We're
always told we're enough since we were kids, and I
think we inherently we embody those cultural perspectives that we're
(25:17):
not pretty enough, we're not smart enough, we're not fast enough,
we're not enough enough, enough, enough enough. And she said this,
she was like, people always ask how do I do
it all? And immediately she said, I don't because I'm
if I'm being the best mom to my kids, that
means I'm not writing what I need to be writing.
(25:39):
But if I'm writing for Grey's Anatomy after twenty one
years and I'm focused in a room writing for fifteen
to seventeen hours a day, I'm not at home.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
I'm not mom.
Speaker 1 (25:52):
I'm not the best mom. So will it? Would I
ever change it? No? No, because my kids know what
it is. It is like to see a mom work
her fucking ass off, who chooses, like you said, every
single day to be exceptional. But I don't do it all.
I'm always failing at something. It's it's because we don't
(26:14):
have enough time in the day to be the best
at everything. Because if we're focusing on greatness in this area,
that means we're not focusing on this other are. You know,
I've got two very very young kids, and I want
to be there to pick them up from school. I want,
you know, I value nighttime routine and telling stories and
(26:35):
reading books. But I also have to provide for them,
which means it will take me away from them at times,
and I don't like it. So it's like the like
what the fuck is balance? Like everyone talks about balance.
I'm like, I don't even know what that means, but
what I will say is they're learning valuable lessons about
just what you said about your mom, Like I'm real,
(26:56):
I'm honest, I don't sugarcoat it. Then I'm sad and
I'm in pain. I don't pretend i'm not, but I
explain how like life works, and there's happy days, and
there's hard days, and there's sad days, and there's long days,
there's short like all of these things. But I think
you mold your kids into understanding, Like that's fucking respect.
(27:20):
I respect my mom because she did do all of
this when all odds were against it, and I think
that's such a beautiful thing. And what we have to
continue normalizing as women is, yeah, we we don't do
it all. We try to do it all, but we
fail at it, I mean truthfully, Like you put too
(27:42):
much energy into this, and then your partner's like, hello,
can we go on date night? I'm like, like, I
don't know if I have time for that, right right,
So that's so true. It's really interesting, and we have
to normalize that as women and not be so sad
about like maybe not being able to do it all
and failing and saying, oh, that's gonna have to wait,
(28:03):
or I'm going to have to prioritize this, and next
week it's gonna flip and that's okay, right.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
So literally, literally, when I go home to Atlanta and
I'm on break, it's when I do like a lot
of my music and it's like, dang, I want to
spend time with a little brothers bobbing in the studio
from like ten to four in the morning. That and
I didn't want to play at five or six, and
I'm like dang, like I'm tired, like so, and it's
like like I want to spend that quality time. So
I definitely get it. Man, It's definitely a balance. But
(28:30):
I think balance is kind of what you're making your balance,
Like you know what I'm.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Saying, And your balance is not going to be the
same as my balance, and I think that's what makes
us smart and figuring it out. So so with college,
you know, you're playing at LSU, you won, you came
in as a freshman and you won the national national championship,
and you've come into college at such a beautiful time
(28:57):
when nil is literally starting like this is very new.
No one really knows what to make of it. I
mean truthfully at the beginning, and everyone was like this
is such bullshit, Like they're just trying to stop they're
trying to stop players from leaving college early to go
(29:17):
professionally because you don't want to lose like I did
a fifth year and by the time I entered into
the pro draft, I was like, oh, I just fucking
wasted five years of making money. And like, no one
knows how long in their career is Like I I
don't know how, Like no one can predict longevity when
it comes to sports. You could have one injury and
(29:41):
like that's it. So it's it's now that you don't
have like you can prioritize playing, you can prioritize education
all while making money. Like I said, with all the love,
I would never leave, like I would go right back.
I would go right back to college. That was best
time of my life. But how different has that been,
(30:04):
because has it? Like I know, you don't know the difference,
but I'm just wondering if it takes the fun out
of college. Because you're a business woman, Flage, You're like
your business like you make a lot of money and
you're twenty one years old, so how has that changed
or is this just all you know? Like you don't know,
(30:26):
no difference, I'm no different.
Speaker 2 (30:29):
It's it's different for me because I'm more confined. Like
you said earlier, I gotta watch what I do.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
So it's more so like I said, I'm aware of everything.
I think I had to pay. People always say college
the best year of your life. I had the best
time of my life in high school was kind of fame.
Speaker 2 (30:44):
I kind of know.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
I wasn't famous though I was known, So I still
have fun. I could go to parties, I could go this,
I can. They're like, no, I can't really go nowhere
without security or something like that. So it's not the
same for me as it would be for other college
students life and I don't go out and I don't
party really like things like that, Like I can only
do that when I'm home for real.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
So for me, it's our business. It's our business is
basketball is music. So you know, I say my fun
for the summer, but then again, in the summer, I'm still.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Working or or can and can.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
For the show and show.
Speaker 3 (31:18):
But even you know what I'm saying, I'm still working
so it's like for me, it's different, like I'm more
I would say, I'm more confined, and.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
That's because of me. That's my choice.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
That's my choice one thousand percent, because I know that
just it's just such a short window.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
For me to accomplish everything that I want to accomplish.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
So I just kind of just dial in and was like,
you know what I'm saying, I'm gonna enjoy I'm I'm
gonna enjoy it, but I still gotta work, like I
still gotta make.
Speaker 2 (31:42):
Cause I ain't gonna get this opportunity again.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
So I now it's kind of like you look at
college different like some people they look at college like
I had the best time in my life, but that
was your time, Like y'all didn't have you know, yo,
y'alln't have brands of obligations that y'all had to you
know what I'm saying. So now for me, it's just
like I'm just trying to make sure that I stay
on my p's and q's and I'm exploiting this thing
at the best of my ability.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Yeah, and you do it so gracefully, and I think
that that's what makes like it's not you're not that
kind of like person that's really in your face, like
roll out the red carpet for me, Like, You're not
like that at all, which I appreciate. What I'm so
interested is you you come in as a freshman. You know,
(32:29):
you win the national championship, you win what was it,
Freshman of the Year, You're you're playing Angel Reese? Is
she a senior? I think she's a senior? Right, so
she she leaves? And I want to know truthfully, like,
because I know what women's sports is, like, I know
(32:50):
the cat cattiness, I know the competitive drive, I know
the comparison constantly. How hard is it for you to
walk into a locker room of a bunch of women
trying to change their life just like you, who probably
aren't getting these nil deals but putting in the same
(33:12):
amount of time, you know, showing up for practice, having
the same kind of story like is flage? Is it hard?
And what I love about you is you always are
about the team. So I don't want to answer for you,
but I know exactly who you are. But I can
imagine that's fucking hard in a locker room because at
(33:33):
my age, when I'm not intelligently and emotionally evolved at
twenty eighteen years old, and Flage's walking in and I
know the money she's making and I'm not, and you're
on the same team, Like, do you experience that? Do
you ever feel that? Does it ever weigh on you?
(33:53):
Or is it never a problem? Which I find hard
to believe in women sports period, because we're always comparing
ourself to everyone.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Yeah, like I probably say keep it pushing in my
own business because you know, I'm human, So I definitely
feel it or like the energy or something like that.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Like most people, they won't come up to you and
be like, hey, bro, I.
Speaker 3 (34:11):
Don't like you kaboo like that have some weird energy
to it. I don't get that, Like you know what
I'm saying. But me, like, I know the type of
person I am, and it ain't like I'm coming here
and I'm like I'm flashing my AMG and my you
know what I'm saying. I'm saying I got this million
dollar deal and I'm and I'm this, and I'm got
no like I really look at myself as you know,
a regular person, cause I am and I'm looking at
(34:32):
like I come here and work hard, like I come
and here day in, day out, two three times a day,
and when I earned this, and I feel like, if
you work for it, you gonna earn it.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Cause that's like the ball favors who the ball favors, you, see.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
What I'm saying. So and I think like, if you
work for it, it's gonna favor you. And so I
try to, Like I have been through a situation that
I talk to my mom my stepdad about and just
be like, like, how do I navigate this? Like cause
like I ain't do nothing, like you know what I'm saying,
But it's just like its just come with it.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
And my mom and my dad telling me any space
that you this is.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Just preparing you for when you go into you know,
the music space and you start dominating there. You're gonna
have people that don't like you for nor reason there.
So you kind of gotta just still be you. And
I just try to just stay humble because I know
that I work for this and I know I deserve you.
Speaker 2 (35:15):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I know that I do right by people, So I
don't really think about it too much because I know
my heart, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (35:21):
At the end of the day.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
If you know how you are and how you treat
people and how they feel is a reflection of them,
you know.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Yeah, and anyone who spends enough time with you knows
that like it. It's very very clear, And I respect
that so so much. I respect you so much because
that is the way you carry yourself. Stick around. I'll
be back with more on Wide Open right after this. Now.
(36:01):
I love that you have the ability to really like
you and your mom are super close and the banter
between you, like you should have your own television show.
So I don't know, like I don't know how that's
not in the works, But some of the banter like
kills me, Like it is so funny. How is it
working with your mom all the time on a professional level.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
Yeah, it need to be a show people don't want
to pay off. But nah, it's just very fun.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Like we had to figure out, like from when I
was younger, so when I got older, Like we had
to figure out that dynamic of being a mom and
being a manager. Like you know what I'm saying, And
I'm like, you be a bomb right now, Like you
know what I'm saying, you don't need to be my
manager and telling me to do this, so I kind
of we just kind of had to go through that
phase of like really getting mad at each other and
not talking to each other for a long time and
really just like sucking it up and apologizing. But now,
(36:53):
you know, I don't look at her from what she
says as a mom. I kind of look at her
what she says like, you know, one of the best
managers or her profession, because the thing that she has
done for me, she got to be one of the best.
So you know, I kind of look at it from
that way and just don't get offenidhed like every kid
get offended when they mama say so late.
Speaker 2 (37:08):
No, I'm won't bother to be right.
Speaker 3 (37:09):
But at the end of the day, I had started
learning like, yeah, sometimes I right, but most of the
time she right too.
Speaker 2 (37:13):
So just kind of just putting the ego.
Speaker 3 (37:15):
And pride to side and just getting a job done
because I know, at the end of the day, nobody
gonna go as hard for me as my mom gonna
go for me, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (37:23):
So that's just the best person that I could have
on my side.
Speaker 1 (37:26):
Yeah, I hear that. And the way your career has
really taken off, especially in twenty twenty four. I mean,
you're collaborating with Lil Wayne? Are you fucking kidding me?
That is in one weekend, you had your birthday, you
turned twenty one, you you were in it was at
New Orleans. Were you on stage with Little Wayne? And
(37:50):
you had your home opening game? Right for this year,
for your season twenty twenty four, twenty twenty five season,
I was like, people, wait to fucking lifetime for your
one weekend all right?
Speaker 2 (38:03):
Right?
Speaker 1 (38:03):
Like I was like, she's on fire. What is it
like being you know, being flage at this but this
present moment where you're collaborating with such an icon in
the industry, Like did you fucking shit yourself? Or were you?
Like I'm I was meant for this, Let's go. I've
(38:25):
been doing this since I was twelve.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Both because you don't never get used to being with
Lil Wayne, you know what I'm saying, and him kind
of embracing you like that was crazy.
Speaker 2 (38:36):
One of the greatest roubles of all time, if not
the greatest. So being like that's I still don't see.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
That's the thing about me, Like I don't really basking
my accomplishments, and I don't know why I never get
a chance to really feel it, like you know what
I'm saying, But probably because I'm always trying to like
focus on the next thing. But I never really just
sit and be like, wow, like what you did was great,
but I don't like the way.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
You just explained it.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
That do sound pretty crazy, but not man just performing
at the Espi's him being there shooting the video with
him there, like all of that was crazy, and he
still I got his numbrocer column anytime.
Speaker 2 (39:08):
He just like hit me like that's crazy, Like you know.
Speaker 3 (39:11):
That's Wayne, like d Wayne d Lil Wayne. And so
I don't know it's a blessing anything that I man.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Man like.
Speaker 3 (39:20):
It just just goes to show the trajectory of the
path that I'm on because I did all that before
I turned twenty one, you know, and so I just
got to keep dominating, keep doing my thing.
Speaker 1 (39:29):
Yeah, And what I'll say is you just you just
said something really really interesting as someone who's retired and
struggles a lot with what you just said, and I
think it's important to like unpack that a little bit
for our puzzle. I went to do a panel on
(39:49):
Joy with Deepak and I was very honest and vulnerable
and said, I have been so conditioned to suffer and
be excellent at my job for so long it has
altered what I feel joy is because as an athlete
(40:10):
who is exceptional, you're unable to sit and enjoy any
moment because someone will pass you. So you as soon
as you win something, it's a mindset, inherent mindset as
an athlete to say, Okay, what's next, Like I could.
I won the World Cup and it was like I
enjoyed it for two point three seconds, and I was like,
(40:31):
what's next. We got the Olympics next year, let's fucking go.
I gotta make that roster, I gotta make that money,
I gotta make this bl blah bah blah blah blah.
And it's like, I like, think back to my career
and sometimes I'm like, did I fucking enjoy it? So
what I'll say is I hear you because I've lived it.
But at twenty one, you have done incredible things that
(40:53):
people do not experience in a lifetime. And I hope
you learn the value of joy because it goes by quick.
And I don't want you to be so conditioned to
suffer that you don't enjoy the ride.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
Right right, Yeah, and and and that's a thousand percent.
Speaker 3 (41:15):
This is a thousand percent. That's just the mindset that
you have. And it's like you have to have that
so you don't get complacent, you know. But the day
it's like, I don't know, it.
Speaker 2 (41:23):
Kind of kind of suppressed that other feeling, you know
what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (41:27):
Yeah, yeah, I know. It's a it's a it's a
grind doing what we do, and it's very lonely. It's
a very lonely road that people do not understand because
you have to be selfish, you have to have an ego,
you have to kind of like pull yourself away from
the pack to focus on the job at hand. It's
(41:49):
like you it's a very unique lonely life. I think
people don't understand you miss everything. I missed everything. I
didn't get to see all of my friend's weddings. I
didn't get to see birthdays, I didn't get to see
births we like anything, I was so selfish in my
entire career. I barely have a relationship with my brother
(42:12):
and my parents. And it's I'm having to repair that now, yeah,
which is going to take time. It's going to take time,
and I hope you're you know, you're doing things differently
and you bring your family along with you, And I
envy it because I did. I made mistakes. I made mistakes,
(42:33):
and I think sharing that and being vulnerable about it
is important. And I think you're showing people a different
way of doing it. And look how it's paying off.
I mean, it's it's been incredible to be a small
part of it, to watch your success over these last
few years.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Thank you ya.
Speaker 3 (42:55):
I think for me while my little brothers, like that's
the main thing.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Like I don't have no choice but to miss birthdays
and Halloween's and all that. I don't want to miss that,
Like you.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Know what I'm saying, Like I'm not that's not you
know what I'm saying, Like I don't want to miss
that in it. That was the hardest part for me
to come to college and being a firstman, just being
away from my family because even when I was home,
I wasn't always home, but I was more there, like
seeing them grow up, eve know, working out three four
times a day, I still got the quality time with them.
(43:26):
And then when you going to college, it's like dangn
like you missing this and I don't want to be
eighteen years old and now they already grown and it's
stuck in their ways and I don't even really know
if I don't want to be like this. So that's
why I'm just I try to make sure they come
as much as they can and everything like that.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Yeah, And I think also, I'm gonna just keep sharing
little stories about you know, following you on social media.
There's one like image that's burned in my brain is
when you walk your little You have two little brothers, right,
I got four? Four?
Speaker 2 (44:01):
Two?
Speaker 1 (44:01):
Are they? What are the youngest two? The one that
always competing?
Speaker 2 (44:05):
Oh, MJ and Aiden?
Speaker 3 (44:06):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (44:07):
Yeah? And I saw you walk them to the bus
stop for school and you see them their back you
know they're young, you know, their backpacks bigger than their body.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
Right.
Speaker 1 (44:20):
But for me, I had like this moment of she
has a million things going on in her life. She
probably was up all night doing god knows what music,
all the things to catch up, and then she still
wakes up at the ass kraka dawn to walk her
little brothers to the school bus because you know how
(44:43):
much that means to them. And I'm like, oh, she's
the real deal, Like that's who you are.
Speaker 3 (44:49):
Yeah, yeah, And I know, and I'm like, I know,
I don't get to see them, so when I am there,
I try to do as much as I can.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
Like just taking them to school.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
They don't remember, like you know, dang, I remember when
flight to take us to the bus stop. We used
to race and stuff like that, you know what I'm saying,
Or to go up there, and I just.
Speaker 2 (45:05):
Pick him up early, even if my Mama don't want
me to go places and stuff like that, because I
know that the time that I have with him.
Speaker 3 (45:11):
Is so precious, is so limited, you know, And the
lifestyle that I want to live, I know I'll be
going more, especially when I get out of college, you
know what I'm.
Speaker 2 (45:19):
Saying, doing music, all types of stuff like this.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
So I've tried to kind of just cherish that time
because it goes so quick. Like I remember, I used
to change my brother Nixon diapers and now he's like
tallmost tall as me. So time goes by so fast.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
It's so true. So what's next, like Flage, I mean,
you've checked so many boxes. I don't know. I mean,
your goals must be endless at this point, but what's
next for you?
Speaker 2 (45:46):
Like?
Speaker 1 (45:46):
What do you You're a junior at school right now? You
are you know, I know you're hunting another national championship.
You had a new album release, which I have all
the March work work, But what's next for you?
Speaker 2 (46:01):
Like?
Speaker 1 (46:01):
What? What is what? What's the biggest drive in this moment?
Are you interested in going to the w NBA in
twenty twenty five? Are you? Like? What is it?
Speaker 2 (46:14):
Like?
Speaker 1 (46:15):
This is possibility? Abilities are endless for you.
Speaker 3 (46:19):
I know the possibilities are endless, but I tell you
the real answers. I don't know, Like I've been in
a spot where I've kind of just like been trying
to just focus on like my mental health. I think
(46:41):
for me, I have to get back to a spot
of like joy, you know what I'm saying like that,
And I just really don't know what that looks like
right now. I know, like I just keep I know,
I wake up, go to the gym, do everything, because
that's my routine. But I want to find joy back
into the small things. So that's kind of like what
(47:03):
I'm working on and just letting things flow and not
kind of putting the pressure on it, like.
Speaker 2 (47:09):
Like it's things that I want to do.
Speaker 3 (47:10):
I know I want to do, especially pursuing, But I've
learned that those tasks, like those big things that we do,
that's not really the things that.
Speaker 2 (47:18):
Keep us like going and happy and motivated.
Speaker 3 (47:21):
Like those those are part of the story, but it's
the little stuff that you do every day that kind
of make you happy and that give you joy. So
that's the thing that I'm kind of working on right now. Like,
you know, the intangibles I like to call them, not
the stuff that I could touch or the things that
I could feel, but the things that I can't the
things that I'm trying to grasp but I can't, you
know what I'm saying. So I've really been in that
(47:42):
spot for real, like and I'm in a spot of
like reflection, a period of reflection. I think as the year,
the old year just went away, you know what I'm saying,
the new year came. I'm just in a spot reflecting
on how I can be better, how I can make
things better, and how I could just be understanding more
and take my mindset.
Speaker 2 (48:01):
Like that's where I'm at right now.
Speaker 1 (48:03):
Wow, powerful at your age too understand that, like is
incredible and you have to take care of yourself through
this process because so many people are gonna want so
many things from you. And I have no doubt you
have the best team around you and everyone rooting for you,
(48:25):
but like you know, like yourself better than anyone else,
and prioritizing your mental health is key because you potentially
could be doing this for a very very long time. Yeah,
and if you don't have joy and this one chance
and one shot we have and none of us know
(48:47):
when our time's up. Finding and holding on to that
is something like you're gonna have to do over and
over and over in your career, Like it's this isn't
going to be the only time where you have to
sit back and reflect and say what is my why?
Speaker 2 (49:05):
Why?
Speaker 1 (49:05):
Why do I do this?
Speaker 2 (49:06):
Like?
Speaker 1 (49:07):
Why am I doing this if I don't feel anything?
So I'm happy to hear you are prioritizing your mental health.
And I'm curious when you say that, like what does
joy look like for you right now off the field,
Like what things are you holding on to that that
reminds you of your why?
Speaker 2 (49:27):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (49:27):
No, Me and my brother was kind of just talking
about this, and he said, like he had these small off.
Speaker 2 (49:31):
Days where he just do all the things that he
loved to do.
Speaker 3 (49:34):
Like he'll go clean up and then he'll go, you
know what I'm saying, see a movie, or he'll go
to his favorite restaurant and grab a meal and just
have a date with hisself and things like that. So
I gotta really like find out like those small things.
Speaker 2 (49:48):
But it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
The things that make me happy is the things that
I really do, like music, Like I like to record music,
and I haven't recorded a long time, and I just
came to my.
Speaker 2 (49:56):
Studio and I'm like, dang, I got music, Like I
can record, like you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (49:59):
So now I think it's just finding the small loving
the things it is.
Speaker 2 (50:03):
I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 3 (50:04):
Like That's why I say who you haven't like, who
you have around is important because.
Speaker 2 (50:10):
Especially for people who are humble, they tend to forget.
Speaker 3 (50:12):
Who they are, you know what I'm saying, And that
this and you it's like it's great to be humble,
don't get me wrong, but you still got to have
people around you who can remind you who you are.
You know what I'm saying, Like you can do this,
like you capable of this, Like you know what I'm
saying you are still that you are the same.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
Person, you know what I'm saying, in that type of realm.
Speaker 3 (50:30):
So I think that's where I'm at right now, because
I know I love That's why I love waking up
in the morning and getting shots. So when it started
turning into just a routine for me and I wasn't
being intentional about it, and I'm like, Okay, I have
to figure out a different approach to this.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (50:44):
And now that doing that, my outcome being better at
my mindset being better than i've been, feeling more motivated.
So it's just about now putting my pen to the pad,
sitting at a desk and really just reflecting on what
I want to do and what that looks like and
kind of visualizing that because I'm a visual person.
Speaker 2 (50:58):
So that's where I'm right now.
Speaker 1 (51:01):
Wow, Well you are wise beyond your years, I'll tell
you that, and you've got such a great head on
your shoulders. So I am so happy you chose to
come on. I am really hopeful and I look forward
to continue watching you through the twenty twenty five season.
I want you to win this national championship. I want
(51:23):
you to win in life period. I want you to
enjoy it. At the same time. You got that big,
beautiful smile and you bring it into every room. And
I love that our paths continue to cross, and I'm
grateful for you, know, the times that we get to
spend together, because thank you and your family are the
(51:44):
real deal. And I think you're going to really do
some big things in your life and I can't wait
to support that. So thank you for being so wide open.
Thank you for being a guest on the podcast. And
I know you have your own podcast. I know you
have all these things going for you. Do you want
to tell the viewers and the listeners where they can
(52:06):
find you your new album, your podcasts? Like promote yourself
honey man.
Speaker 3 (52:12):
Yeah, y'all can follow me on all of my social
media's at flage A f L A U j A E.
I got music out right now. I just dropped the song.
Of course, I got the song a little Wayne, but
I just dropped best of both worlds.
Speaker 2 (52:25):
Y'all can buy my jerseys and support my Nio festivities
that have going on. It's all in my bio on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (52:31):
But now I really want to say thank you and
you know, I really genuinely you know, ever since we
love Can just been following you and your family and
I just love everything you do. So it was a
blessing to be on the podcast.
Speaker 1 (52:42):
Oh thanks Flage, and I account me count I will
be at one of your games by the end of
this season. So hold me to it, everyone, everyone, hold
me to it. Sophia keeps talking about it. She wants
to you know, Sofia and your mom. I thought I
had to pull them apart at one point. I'm like, yeah,
(53:03):
like they are two peas in a pod, So you gotta.
We're going to get the whole family out there supporting you,
and we really look forward to it. Best of luck
for the rest of the season, and say hi to
your mom for me.
Speaker 2 (53:17):
I got you, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (53:18):
Thanks for coming on for sure. Wide Open with Ashland
Harris is an iHeart women's sports production. You can find
us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
get your podcasts. Our producers are Carmen Borca Correo, Emily Maronov,
(53:38):
and Lucy Jones. Production assistants from Malia Aguidello. Our executive
producers are Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder. Our
editors are Jenny Kaplan and Emily Rudder, and I'm your
host Ashlyn Harris.
Host
Ashlyn Harris
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