Sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley played just three minutes in South Carolina’s shocking 77-62 loss to UCLA on Sunday, the school’s first defeat since the 2023 Final Four (against Caitlin Clark’s Iowa).
Head coach Dawn Staley named Fulwiley as one of the names to watch in college basketball ahead of the season: “There are household names. Everybody knows JuJu [Watkins]. Everybody knows Hannah Hidalgo. Everybody knows MiLaysia Fulwiley. Everybody will know Joyce Edwards…The future is incredibly bright.”
But after the game, the three-time NCAA champion coach had to defend leaving the sophomore guard on the bench. “MiLaysia and I are good,” she told reporters on Wednesday. “Other people ask about issues and what is going on here, but our house is tight.”
- Kim Mulkey makes ‘lucky’ admission after alarming LSU leadership assessment
- JuJu Watkins makes her feelings very clear on Caitlin Clark comparisons
Fulwiley looked like a rising star while averaging 18.4 minutes a game off the bench to help South Carolina capture the 2024 NCAA women’s basketball championship.
She’s averaging 10.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game but has seen her playing time drop to 17.0 minutes per contest. Many pointed to Fulwiley’s rumored interest in transferring, a claim Staley shrugged off.
“It’s her process,” Staley said. “Everybody has a process. And everybody wants to say transfer but we trust over here.”
Fulwiley failed to score in her three minutes against UCLA on Sunday (
Image:
Getty Images)
“She trusts me, I trust her and it is [a] family trust. I don’t have a soundbite to give you other than we are all good. It is our process that we are going to continue to trust,” Staley continued.
Te-Hina Paopao led the way for South Carolina with 18 points in 29 minutes. Talented freshman Joyce Edwards continued to come off the bench, scoring six points in her 18 minutes.
The loss was the program’s first in 43 contests. Staley’s group will look to bounce back when they take on No. 15 Iowa State on Thanksgiving Day.
NBA chief’s private conversation with Caitlin Clark as she receives seven-word message
Hailey Van Lith career night speaks volumes after bold promise made by TCU star
The loss dropped South Carolina to fourth in the women’s basketball AP rankings. The program has almost exclusively been ranked first for the last few seasons.
“It is not about UCLA, that she didn’t play the rest of the game. It is about that her picture is up here,” Staley said while gesturing to South Carolina legends hanging in the rafter. “And that she is in the [WNBA] for as long as she wants to be.”
Leave a Reply