“Going to see some of our doctors”: Dawn Staley provides update on MiLaysia Fulwiley’s injury scare
South Carolina women's basketball coach Dawn Staley provided an update on the health status of sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who left the court during the Gamecocks' 106-63 win over Memphis in an exhibition game on Tuesday at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse in Memphis, Tennessee.
Staley was optimistic about Fulwiley's condition but noted that she would consult with the school's specialists to know the extent of the injury.
"I know she was going to see some of our doctors there but she was she was walking after the game," Staley said.
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Fulwiley hurt her ankle after landing awkwardly while running back on defense in the latter part of the third quarter. Her teammates helped the 5-foot-10 guard to get up but she eventually walked to the bench.
“She’s alright, I think she twisted her ankle a little bit. Sometimes with players like that, they’ve never been hurt, when they get hurt it scares them more than anything," Staley added via Greenville News).
Fulwiley scored 10 points on 3-of-8 shooting, helping the preseason No. 1 Gamecocks start their 2024-25 college basketball season on a positive note.
Last season, the W.J. Keenan High School standout appeared in all 38 games for South Carolina, averaging 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Dawn Staley guides defending champs South Carolina to dominant win over Memphis
South Carolina began its 2024-25 college basketball campaign with a flourish, demolishing Memphis in a tuneup game as part of the inaugural Hoops for St. Jude Tip-Off Classic at FedEx Forum.
Rookie Joyce Edwards showed why she is ESPN HoopGurlz's No. 3 high school recruit in the nation, posting a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds in her first game as a Gamecock. The 6-foot-3 Camden High School standout shot 6-of-11 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.
Edwards teamed up with Te-Hina Paopao early for the Gamecocks, who built a 50-32 lead at the half and never looked back. Paopao added 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting.
Chloe Kitts also had big numbers for South Carolina, tallying 15 points and 13 rebounds. The Gamecocks dominated the rebounding department, 58-25, and led by as many as 45 points.
Staley spoke about the team's overeagerness in the first few minutes before settling down to open the new season with a victory.
"I thought we had I thought we had great plays from a lot of different people," Staley said. "We were just pretty vanilla offensively because we wanted to be that way and we got a team that we got to play in Michigan that we didn't want to give a whole lot of information to."
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The Gamecocks will host their second and final tuneup game against Clayton State on Oct. 28 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia before starting the regular season with a non-conference clash with Michigan on Nov. 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, as part of the Hall of Fame Series.
Do you think Dawn Staley's Gamecocks can go back-to-back and defend their title next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.