BATON ROUGE — LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson was named Kay Yow Servant Leader of the Year, an award honoring student athletes who exemplify leadership, service and overall impact.

The award is given out by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, named after former N.C. State University women's basketball coach Kay Yow. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987 and died of it in 2009. The organization funds cancer research, provides access to quality cancer healthcare and raises awareness about the disease. 

Johnson was selected for the award from 66 Servant Leaders across 23 conferences from all over the country. 

"A two-time Kay Yow Servant Leader, Johnson is being honored for her extraordinary commitment to servant leadership, using her platform to support women and families facing cancer while uplifting her broader community through hands-on service and advocacy," a news release from LSU says. 

As part of the honor, the Kay Yow Cancer Fund will award a $25,000 grant in Johnson's name to help provide cancer care to under-resourced women in the Baton Rouge area.

“Flau’jae represents exactly what this award stands for,” said Jenny Palmateer, CEO of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. “She competes at the highest level, but more importantly, she leads with heart. She understands her platform is bigger than basketball, and she uses it to make a real difference.”