Dawn Staley Assesses MiLaysia Fulwiley’s WNBA Potential After South Carolina Win

The South Carolina Gamecocks improved to 25-3 in the 2024-25 NCAA women’s basketball season on Sunday after producing an impressive 82-54 victory over Vanderbilt.

The main intrigue around this game was how the Gamecocks would be able to contain Vanderbilt’s star freshman Mikayla Blakes, who ultimately finished the game with 19 points and 7 rebounds.

Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley has seen plenty of talented freshmen across her college coaching career. Just last year, she got to witness her own MiLaysia Fulwiley grow and develop, which has paid off with her showing massive improvements during her sophomore season at South Carolina.

Despite being sixth in minutes played for the Gamecocks on Sunday, Fulwiley led the team in points scored, with 24 (while going an efficient 10-15 from the field), which tied her career-high. After the win, Staley spoke about Fulwiley’s growth and her prospects for success at the professional level.

“I think MiLaysia’s a pro, you know?” Staley said postgame, per an X post from Jared Parker. “We’re just giving her the tools to operate in that space because it’s not just one way. You have to be multifaceted when it comes to playing at that elite level.

“Talent-wise, she’s got the talent, speed, athleticism,” Staley continued. “She has all elite all of that. Now’s that crux of playing in the league, how do you handle certain situations? How do you handle starting or not starting? How do you handle when you go 0-4, right? You’ve got to defend.

“So it is all those things that we’re adding to what she has already brought to us. Because ultimately, she wants to be a pro. And if she wants to be a pro, there are things she has to add,” she added of Fulwiley.

The good news is that Fulwiley still has more time to develop under arguably the best coach in college basketball before she becomes WNBA eligible.