South Carolina women's basketball: MiLaysia Fulwiley is "starting to find my love for defense"

“I love defense,” MiLaysia Fulwiley said. Then she seemed to immediately correct herself. “I’m starting to find my love for defense.”

Either way, it is a significant change for a player who has been very publicly benched for her lack of defensive effort.

That’s a non-negotiable for Dawn Staley. It always has been and probably always will be. You play hard and smart on defense or you don’t play. Offense will come from defense.

Fulwiley had to learn it the hard way. As a freshman last season, she began her career with five consecutive double-figure scoring games. At North Carolina in her sixth game, Fulwiley only played three minutes because Staley was unhappy with her effort on defense.

Fulwiley got the message. By the end of last season, she was a good – and occasionally great – defender. 

That fact was often lost in all of the highlight-reel layups and passes. But if you go back and watch beyond the viral portion, many of those plays began on the defensive end.

Fulwiley regressed in the first part of the season, but since conference play began she has come back around. Stats don’t always do a good job of reflecting defense, but the increase in Fulwiley’s offensive numbers is directly related to her defense.

In the non-conference schedule, Fulwiley averaged 10.1 points on 41.6% shooting. She averaged 2.5 rebounds, 0.54 blocks, and 0.9 steals. In conference play, Fulwiley averages 13.7 points on 44.4% shooting. She also averages 4.0 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.3 steals.

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“It’s been a steady climb since probably our Mississippi State game,” Staley said. “It’s been a climb for Lay. Doesn’t mean that she’s not going to she’s not going to go back to a different place. That’s part of the process. It hasn’t happened in a couple of games, and that’s growth.

“I’m proud of her because I asked her to be a little bit more disciplined while giving her the freedom to do whatever she needs to do.”

Staley has often described Fulwiley as a quiet player. It’s hard to believe someone who is so flashy on the court could be called quiet.

I’ve spent enough time around Fulwiley to know it is true. She is unfailingly polite and soft-spoken, always answering questions honestly while also trying to say the right things. Maybe that’s why, in her words, “I like playing good because it motivates me to play even better and outdo myself.”

That’s one of the reasons Staley is so insistent that Fulwiley put forth effort on defense. There are good plays to be had that provide the spark Fulwiley thrives on. Fulwiley understands that, although she admitted last weekend that she has a tendency to “relax” on defense.

“It always makes me feel good when I play on both sides of the floor. It motivates me to want do a little bit more. Today was one of those days. I have more in my tank and I didn’t honestly think I played as good as I could have. It just motivates me to want to do better,” she said. “I’m starting to find my love for defense. I’m excited to see how far I go.”

Staley likes to talk about unlocking a player’s “superpower.” Fulwiley’s superpower isn’t the handles, the layups, or the athleticism. It’s her defense. All of those innate abilities that make her so breathtaking on offense could also make Fulwiley and elite defender.

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Fulwiley is both fast and quick. That allows her to take chances and overplay to force a turnover, but recover before the offensive player can get an edge. Fulwiley is stronger than most players her size, which gives her an edge inside. And her long arms and jumping ability make her a surprisingly good shot-blocker.

“When Lay’s locked in she impacts it on both sides of the basketball,” Staley said after the Texas game. “I would like for her to really understand her power from a defensive standpoint. So we’re always encouraging her, you know, the only reason why she comes out of the game is her not defending. Other than that, it is when she does this. So I think she’s finally understanding her power on both sides of the basketball, and I hope she’s consistently getting (that).”

Defending also gives Fulwiley a longer leash with the coaching staff.

“You’ve got to let her have that space as long as she’s playing defense,” Staley said. “I’m really fine with it. You can take bad shots. Just defend.”

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