Forbes 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 features Flau’jae Johnson and Caitlin Clark, excludes Angel Reese

Forbes has unveiled its prestigious 30 Under 30 Class of 2025 list, featuring trailblazers from diverse industries. Among this year’s honorees are Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark, and LSU standout Flau’jae Johnson. While the list celebrates exceptional achievements, Angel Reese, one of the most prominent names in NCAA basketball, was notably absent, sparking disappointment among her fans.
The list, representing 20 industries, highlighted 50 percent Gen Z individuals, emphasizing the generation’s transformative influence on business and creativity. Forbes 30 Under 30 editor Alexandra York described the honorees as “one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs and creators, who are reshaping the way the world conducts business.”
Flau’jae Johnson’s inclusion underscores her versatility and marketability. An NCAA athlete excelling on the court, she has seamlessly balanced her rapping career and launched a successful podcast, The Best of Both Worlds with Flau’jae. Her achievements reflect the evolving opportunities for athletes in the NIL era.

In contrast, Angel Reese’s absence surprised many, especially given her significant influence in NCAA basketball. Reese’s fans, already vocal about her achievements, were disheartened by this omission, particularly since her former LSU teammate Flau’jae Johnson made the list.
Complicating matters, the relationship between Reese and Johnson appears strained. During the 2023-24 season, tension emerged when Reese’s mother, Angel Webb Reese, pointed out a grammatical error by Kia Brooks, Johnson’s mother. Brooks retorted with a comment on Reese’s college grades, escalating the situation. While the mothers resolved the issue, Johnson later admitted on her podcast, “Yeah, me and Angel, we aren’t as close as we used to be.”
The rift became more evident as the two athletes publicly overlooked each other in discussions. Johnson did not mention Reese among LSU’s top stars, while Reese praised another teammate, Aneesah Morrow, as her favorite current player. Fans further noted Johnson’s mother’s recent comments. When a fan named Johnson the best player at LSU, Kia Brooks remarked, “When you got it all on both ends, it’s definitely a conversation,” which many saw as a dig at Reese.
While Reese’s exclusion from the Forbes list has drawn attention, the Class of 2025 boasts an impressive lineup. Besides Tatum, Clark, and Johnson, the list features rapper Shaboozey, actress Kathryn Newton, TikTok creator Drew Afualo, and Miami twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder, co-founders of Cavinder Twins LLC. The honorees collectively reflect a generation of innovative leaders, with the Class of 2025 raising over $3.6 billion in funding and amassing a combined 300 million social media followers.
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As fans of Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson react to the developments, the ongoing tension between the two athletes adds an intriguing subplot to this year’s Forbes list. Whether their paths will cross again professionally or personally remains to be seen, but their influence in basketball and beyond is undeniable.