When Dawn Staley thanked MiLaysia Fulwiley for sacrificing her starter role: "Now she'll maybe want to concentrate on individual awards"
MiLaysia Fulwiley's time at South Carolina has come to an end, with the former NCAA champion confirming her commitment to the LSU Tigers on Friday. Dawn Staley had an inkling such a move would occur when she talked to reporters following South Carolina's win over Iowa in the NCAA Tournament championship game on April 7, 2024.
In the post-match press conference, a reporter asked Staley about the Gamecocks' depth after her bench players outscored the Hawkeyes' reserves 37-0 in the title game. She made a special mention for Fulwiley, who sacrificed her starter role to help South Carolina win its third national championship.
"I think MiLaysia Fulwiley has been very patient with us,” Staley said (Timestamp 22:47). “To be able to have a household name coming off the bench, playing maybe probably less than 20 minutes a game where she could have gone anywhere else in the country and they’ve given her the ball time and time again.”
"But winning the national championship will allow us and that relationship to continue to grow because I know she really wanted this and I would imagine that come as early as next year, she’s going to want to be a starter, she's going to want to play more minutes."
Dawn Staley added that MiLaysia Fulwiley may target individual awards next after winning the NCAA title in her first season at South Carolina.
"She’s going to want a lot of different things because she’s got the big one. So now she’ll maybe want to concentrate on some individual awards and I appreciate her sacrifice."
Fulwiley remained a reserve for Staley in her sophomore year, averaging 18.9 minutes through 39 games in the 2024-25 season. She still put up impressive numbers for the Gamecocks, averaging 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 steals per contest off the bench.
How MiLaysia Fulwiley fared under Dawn Staley in the 2024 NCAA championship game vs. Iowa
MiLaysia Fulwiley headed into the 2024 championship game against Iowa in superb form. She averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.2 assists in South Carolina's March Madness wins against Presbyterian, North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon State and NC State.
Fulwiley helped South Carolina complete its perfect season, recording nine points, four rebounds, four assists and one block in the Gamecocks' 87-75 victory over Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes. She shot 4-of-10 from the field, including 1-for-3 from beyond the arc.