MiLaysia Fulwiley emerges as an ‘X Factor’ for South Carolina women’s basketball
South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley is one of the most exciting players in college basketball.
She is a quick, high-flying finesser. She is athleticism and flash personified. Her reputation in Columbia has long been that of an elite homegrown product. She is known nationally as a human highlight reel.
You wouldn’t know from her on-court antics that she’s pretty demure behind the scenes. Questions from the media about her performances often solicit dodgy eye contact and a shy smile. Such is the life of a humble star.
Thursday night proved no different, as Fulwiley led USC with 19 points and six steals in its 83-45 home win over Missouri. The major storyline heading into the game was the absence of South Carolina’s leading scorer and rebounder Kamilla Cardoso. While the Gamecocks’ quartet of post players elevated their performances to fill the 6-foot-7 hole on their bench, Fulwiley made the game what it was.
“She’s got a little bit of everything,” coach Dawn Staley said. “She is probably the ‘X Factor,’ in that we know she’d score a lot of points, she’s super unselfish. She involves other people. Her defense has really been the separation. She’s elevated. It’s really unbelievable the amount of pressure without fouling.”
When Fulwiley checked in at the 4:50 mark in the first quarter, South Carolina trailed Missouri 8-7. She immediately nailed a 3, securing the Gamecocks first triple and lead of the night. By the time Fulwiley went back to the bench about four minutes later, USC lead Missouri 20-10, and Fulwiley had 9 points.
Staley has gushed over Fulwiley’s raw talent all season, while also acknowledging that her zest for the game has a tendency to cloud her decision making. She often opts for the most impressive play as opposed to the more guaranteed play. The moments in between the “SportsCenter” worthy highlights (or as Staley calls them, “the meat and potatoes of basketball”) were where Fulwiley needed to improve.
She has made huge strides by locking in on defense, attested by her six steals against Missouri Thursday night, which matches her career high. Fulwiley quickly impressed basketball fans everywhere with a behind-the-back, over-under layup and Magic Johnson-esque feeds to her new teammates in USC’s season opener against Notre Dame. But after a scorching hot start, Fulwiley found herself on thin ice at then-No. 24 North Carolina.
She played just three minutes against the Tar Heels after averaging 23.5 minutes per game as a reserve through the month of November. Staley benched her star freshman because she lost her man on defense too many times. From that moment on, defense has never been an issue for Fulwiley.
She has taken Staley’s coaching as gospel, learning better practice habits along the way. And the hard work doesn’t go unrecognized.
“It’s cool to see it develop in such a short period,” Staley said. “Because she’s just a freshman, and she doesn’t carry herself like that. She’s now not practicing like she’s a freshman.
“She looks like she belongs. She walks like she belongs. She plays like she belongs.”
This story was originally published February 8, 2024 at 10:54 PM.
