South Carolina women's basketball: How MiLaysia Fulwiley could be the key to beating UConn

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MiLaysia Fulwiley could be the key to South Carolina beating UConn on Sunday. Here’s why.

Fulwiley averages 12.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.7 steals. She plays only 19.0 minutes per game. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. She burst into the national conscience because of her breathtaking plays, but Fulwiley has learned to be more than that.

Over the last five games, as Fulwiley has become more comfortable with her role and fille din the cracks, her scoring has increased to 13.2 points. She’s also averaging 2.4 steals, a sign of her improved defense.

“Lay has really been locked in on both sides of the basketball,” Dawn Staley said. “She’s getting pretty serious about this game and the prep for it and really understanding what it takes to play at a high level on a consistent basis. It’s all her.”

Fulwiley scored a career-high 21 points against Texas A&M. The next game was the showdown at LSU, and when Fulwiley entered the game she quickly airballed a three and committed a turnover. Staley immediately benched Fulwiley.

Earlier in the season a similarly thing happened against North Carolina. That time Fulwiley didn’t get back in the game. This time, Staley trusted her enough to play her again, and Fulwiley responded with eight second-quarter points that got South Carolina back in the game.

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Staley hasn’t had to do it again. As Fulwiley has gotten more serious about the game, her practice habits have improved along with her undestanding of her role.

“She’s very, very aware of her – I call it superpower – on both sides of the basketball,” Staley said. “It’s kind of cool to see it develop in such a short period. 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.”

Fulwiley is playing with a better understanding of pace. Instead of attacking every play at full speed, she is learning when to rein it in and when to let go. It’s made Fulwiley more efficient offensively, but the big change is on defense. She tied her career-high with six steals against Missouri, and she makes it hard for opponents to get to their spots.

“Her maturation process has sped up because of her,” Staley said. “Her making a concerted effort to lock in and be a little more disciplined on both sides of the basketball. She still is chasing those spectacular plays, but when you combine them with lean plays, like her game has leaned out, you can afford it. That’s what she wants to do and we can’t completely take that out of her repertoire. It’s who she is. It’s the other, the plays in between those spectacular plays is where we wanted her to lean out. She’s done that, including defensively. It’s impressive.”

In UConn’s four losses this season the Huskies have been carved up by opposing point guards. They have gotten to the rim at will to score, set up teammates, and draw fouls.

Saniya Rivers (33 points, 10 rebounds, five assists), Kiki Rice (24 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists), Rori Harmon (27 points, 13 assists, five rebounds), and Hannah Hidalgo (34 points, 10 rebounds, six assists) averaged 29.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 8.0 assists. 

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Fulwiley is as capable as any of them of getting to the rim. She also might be good enough defensively to help disrupt UConn’s point guards, something the Gamecocks have done when they beat the Huskies.

“She’s got a little bit of everything. She is probably the X-factor,” Staley said. “We know she can score a lot of points. She’s super unselfish. She involves other people. Her defense has really been the separation.”

Fulwiley is an asset to Staley in other ways. Presented without comment, Staley said the following after the Missouri game:

“MiLaysia is a rock star. Not just local. When we go on the road I’m strategic. When we go on the road and I have to sign autographs or take pictures, I kind of wait until she comes in the gym. And when she comes in, they go to her and I can get out of there quicker. She handles it so well. She really is a shy person. She doesn’t talk a whole lot unless she’s very very comfortable. What she says, it’s meaningful. She is her mother’s child. Phea has done a tremendous job.”

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