Savannah natives Nasir Anderson and Flau'jae Johnson have been representing the country in international basketball tournaments this summer, with Johnson aiming to match Anderson's gold medal on Sunday night.
Johnson, 21, and the United States national team face Brazil in the FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2025 final in Santiago, Chile. Brazil downed Team USA in the most recent championship game in 2023, while the Americans have captured gold four times, most recently in 2021 when they went 6-0.
A 6-0 mark was also posted in June at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2025 in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, where Anderson and the U.S. boys team secured the title for the ninth time and kept America's record unblemished in the history of the tournament at 49-0.
Anderson Stars at FIBA U16 AmeriCup
It wasn't close; Team USA's average margin of victory was 58 points, including a 108-71 win over Canada in the final on June 9. The 12-member U.S. team qualified for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup next year in Turkey, where it will aim for an eighth straight crown.
Anderson, who turns 16 on July 14, was making his debut for the U.S. national team, and he was sensational. The point guard, listed at 6-foot-4 or 6-3 depending on the website, was voted Most Valuable Player and to the All-Star Five for the tournament.
He averaged 12.3 points, a competition-high 6.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 3.5 steals, and a plus-25.5 rating in 18.5 minutes over six games against Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina in the group phase, Brazil in the quarterfinals, Puerto Rico in the semis, and Canada in the final.
Anderson was particularly sharp against Brazil on June 6, posting 19 points on 9-of-10 shooting, including 9 of 9 on two-pointers, 10 assists, five steals, and three rebounds in 19 minutes for a plus-40 rating.
His six-game total of 41 assists set the U.S. record for the competition.
"When they called my name (as MVP), I was just so in shock, it was crazy," Anderson said afterward in an interview included in a WTOC-TV report. "I feel like winning the MVP just showed everybody around the world that I'm a great player coming up, looking forward to people starting to realize my name, realize who I am and what I stand for."
Anderson’s Talent on the Rise
He was called Rudy Anderson when he played as a freshman at Savannah Country Day in the 2023-24 season, helping the Hornets claim the Region 3-3A tournament championship and later reach the GHSA Class 3A Sweet 16. The left-hander made the all-region first team and was the Class 3A Freshman of the Year in the state, according to Sandysspiel.com.
He transferred to Norcross High School, where he has two more seasons and already is one of the top prospects in the Class of 2027 – the attention only growing after his performances at AmeriCup and the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Rock Hill, S.C. Anderson also has been an AAU standout for Game Elite.
The 247Sports Composite, which includes multiple recruiting service rankings, has Anderson a five-star prospect who is No. 12 in the country, No. 1 at point guard, and second overall in Georgia.
ESPN puts him as a five-star at No. 17 in its top 60 for the Class of 2027, No. 1 at point guard, No. 8 in the Southeast Region, and No. 2 in Georgia regardless of position.
Anderson's more than 20 college offers, according to the recruiting websites, include Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida, Houston, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Mississippi State, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech.
From Rap Star to Hoops Star: Johnson’s a Dual Threat
Johnson is well past the college recruiting stage as a rising senior at LSU, where she was the first McDonald's All-American brought in by head coach Kim Mulkey after a record-setting career at Sprayberry High School in Marietta.
Her Savannah roots were already known as Johnson established her career as a rap artist in addition to being a stellar student-athlete. She has continued to give back to her hometown with charity events in the community.
Her ability to excel on multiple fronts has made her story all the more impressive, and that didn't slow when she got toBaton Rouge, La.
Johnson was the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year in 2023, when LSU's women's basketball program won its first national championship.
She started at guard and compiled 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and a game-high plus-20 rating in 37 minutes as LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 in the title game.
The Tigers advanced to the Elite Eight each of the past two seasons, with the 5-10 guard earning All-SEC second teamas a sophomore and first-team all-conference and third-team All-America honors as a junior, when she averaged a career-best 18.6 points. Last season ended with a 72-65 loss to UCLA in which Johnson scored a career-high 28 points, including 24 in the second half.
She has averaged 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 106 career games (104 starts). She has 1,565 total points, 602 rebounds, 242 assists, 175 steals, and 97 blocks.
Johnson Makes USA Debut at AmeriCup in Chile
But Johnson wasn't ready to call it a college career, though she could have entered the 2025 WNBA Draft, nor did she transfer to another collegiate program.
A possible lottery pick in the 2026 draft who also has several endorsements through her thriving music career, as well as NIL revenue from her hoops prowess, Johnson announced in April that she is staying for a fourth year at LSU.
"Three years deep at LSU," Johnson reconfirmed in June on her Instagram account. "Remember when I walked in as a freshman, eyes wide but ready. Winning that national championship wasn't just a moment it was proof that hard work pays off. Every drill, every game, every setback pushed me further. From shin injury to eye injury to Elite Eight. I'll be back, we'll be back – better than ever."
This summer, she has taken advantage of the opportunity to play in Chile for the 12-player team in her USA Basketballdebut. Her biggest outing going into Sunday night was her game-high 22 points along with seven rebounds, four steals, and two assists in 20 minutes in a 110-44 rout of the Dominican Republic in the quarterfinals on Friday.
"These international players are definitely skilled, they play hard... it's physical," Johnson said afterward in an interview with FIBA Americas. "That would be my number one takeaway."
Through the first six games, all victories, Johnson has averaged five points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, and a plus-17.7 rating in 13.2 minutes, though her time on the court has varied. Johnson started but played just 3 minutes and 28 seconds of the 65-53 win over Canada on Saturday in the semifinals.
Perhaps that was out of caution for injury with the championship game one day later against Brazil (6-0), and the winner earning a berth in the 2026 FIBA Women's World Cup.
PHOTO CREDIT: Team USA Basketball and FIBA website
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