UK and Louisville wanted her. She chose LSU instead. Top in-state recruit explains why.

On Sunday afternoon, surrounded by her teammates, friends and family at Sacred Heart Academy, elite guard ZaKiyah Johnson announced her commitment to LSU — opting to forge a new path of opportunity and growth away from home.

For fans and followers of Johnson’s other finalists, Kentucky and Louisville, the decision may have come as a surprise. The state’s top prospect (No. 13 nationally) in the class of 2025 and one of the most decorated athletes in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, decked out in purple and gold with a massive smile on her face.

“I knew I wanted to wait to take all of my visits before I kind of made a decision,” Johnson said. “Because you never know what you’re gonna see and what can change. So I did wait until I took every visit. I set all my pros and cons out. I set the realities out of everything, and it just came down to — ‘Do you want to stay home, or do you want to leave?’”

It’s not difficult to wrap your head around why any five-star prospect would want to play at LSU. Just two seasons removed from its first NCAA title, LSU has reached the national spotlight both within and outside of the rapidly growing world of women’s college basketball. Since Kim Mulkey left Baylor in 2021 after decades — and three national championships — to start anew in Baton Rouge, the Tigers’ program has exploded in popularity, and its rosters have featured some of the brightest lights in today’s game, from WNBA rookie standout Angel Reese to recording artist and sharpshooter Flau’jae Johnson.

High-profile transfers, like Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith (now at TCU), and several of the nation’s top recruits, such as Mikaylah Williams (No. 2 in 2023) and Aalyah Del Rosario (No. 7 in 2023), found their way to LSU in favor of development, high-level success, a passionate fan base and the ability to build and nurture a brand that would stack up against that of even the most lauded athletes in the country.

“I was just sitting there and just kind of like, ‘I want to do something different,’” Johnson said.

“I’ve always kind of been like an on-the-go type of person. I like to move around a lot, whether it’s with family or I’m with my friends. But LSU felt a lot like home, but I knew it was far so I could be on my own. So I would be comfortable, but I would also have that challenge of taking the responsibilities of being on my own and having to do a lot for myself.”

In November 2023, Johnson first named her list of 12 finalists — Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Louisville, LSU, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Southern California, South Carolina, Tennessee and UCLA. It did not include Kentucky, despite active recruiting from former head coach Kyra Elzy.

Enter Kenny Brooks, who immediately hit the recruiting trail upon his hiring at UK and made a concerted effort to go after some of the commonwealth’s top talent. Though playing from behind — Louisville’s Jeff Walz gave Johnson her first Division I offer, and Mulkey and her staff remained in consistent contact and pursuit — Brooks and the Wildcats increased Johnson’s list of finalists to 13, and made the cut once she narrowed her list in July.

The six finalists — UK, Louisville, LSU, Notre Dame, Southern California and South Carolina — stood out to Johnson, she told the Herald-Leader in July, because they exemplified “sisterhood,” something the three-time state tournament MVP has always enjoyed throughout her basketball career.

“I think I could notice that the most in those six schools I picked,” she said, “but it’s definitely gonna be fun, just picking between them. Going to visit and seeing what the real thing is in my own eyes. Definitely the sisterhood because I am really big on who I’m playing with for four years.”

Johnson took official visits throughout the fall, including one to LSU at the start of September. Shortly after, Johnson narrowed her list to three. Following her announcement Sunday, she noted that her trip to LSU surprised her by how familiar it felt.

“I wasn’t expecting what I saw at LSU,” Johnson said. “It felt a lot like it had that country vibe to it, but it’s also the city, too. So you have all these attractions to do, but if you need that calm, quiet area. … It felt so much like home, that it was just, I can’t even describe it. I can’t describe it. You have to be there.”

Johnson isn’t alone in that. Thus far, Mulkey has earned commitments from four top-30 prospects in the class of 2025, including two this week. On Sunday, Johnson joined 5-foot-11 guard Divine Bourrage out of Davenport (Iowa) North High School and 5-9 guard Bella Hines out of Eldorado High School (New Mexico). Bourrage is No. 12 in the 2025 class; Hines is 30th. On Wednesday, 6-2 wing Grace Knox out of Etiwanda High School (California), the No. 6 overall prospect in the class, announced her pledge to the Tigers.

“I’m so excited to play for Coach Mulkey,” Johnson said. “I think she lets her players be who they are. She embraces everything that is brought to them, and nothing is taken for granted with Coach Mulkey. I love Coach Mulkey, and I cannot wait to be under her for four years.”

Now, with her college commitment announced, Johnson is prepared to embrace all that her fourth and final season at Sacred Heart has to offer. When asked if she was going to play “a little bit freer” heading into her senior year, Johnson beamed.

“Oh, definitely,” Johnson said. “I’m gonna try all the new things. I’m just gonna create something that I haven’t seen before because I have nothing to lose now.”

Johnson plans to sign with the Tigers next week upon the start of the official signing period.

In Kentucky’s new-look women’s basketball debut, everything came up ‘Clara’

Kenny Brooks earns first win at Kentucky in season-opening rout of USC Upstate