NCAAW: All eyes on Fulwiley as LSU hosts South Carolina in primetime

The latest edition of South Carolina-LSU gets the primetime billing the matchup deserves, with the No. 6 Tigers hosting the No. 3 Gamecocks at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

The two teams have been the titans of the SEC, while also capturing three of the last four national championships. This season, a deep NCAA Tournament run is the expectation for both teams—and for good reason.

A thinner roster than usual has done little to dim the dominance of head coach Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks. Ta’Niya Latson, who led the nation in scoring last season as a Florida State Seminole, took her talents to Columbia, reuniting with Raven Johnson to form one of the best backcourts in the country.

On the wing, Tessa Johnson has continued to establish herself as one of the game’s best shooters, while Agot Makeer overflows with intriguing two-way talent. In the frontcourt, South Carolina has been boosted by Mississippi State transfer Madina Okot, who, with her prowess on the boards and soft touch around the basket, immediately inserted herself into the lineage of excellent Gamecock bigs.

The biggest boon for South Carolina, however, has been the rapid ascension of Joyce Edwards, who has substantiated her suspected star trajectory with a fantastic second season in Garnet and Black. Led by Edwards’ more than 20 points per game, this South Carolina squad thrives as much offensively as they do defensively, ranking fourth on both sides of the ball.

In Baton Rouge, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey added the No. 1-ranked recruiting class to a team already teeming with talent. Freshmen ZaKiyah Johnson and Grace Knox, in particular, have emerged as key contributors, enhancing a roster that returned Flau’Jae Johnson, a projected lottery pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft, and Mikaylah Williams, one of the smoothest scorers in the sport.

Add in growth from Jada Richard and it’s easy to understand why LSU has an electric offense, scoring 100 points or more 12 times this season. The nation’s most prolific offense, the Tigers also take care of business on the other side of the ball, evidenced by their second-ranked defensive rating.

MiLaysia Fulwiley, of course, has also injected the Tigers with two-way juice. And for all the impactful players on both sides who will influence the outcome of this contest, all eyes will be on Fulwiley, the Columbia native who transferred from South Carolina to LSU last offseason.

Frequently described by her former head coach as a “generational talent,” Fulwiley confirmed Staley’s assessment during her two seasons at South Carolina.

A member of the 2024 national championship team as a freshman, she was the catalyst during the Gamecocks’ run to the 2024 Tournament title, earning Tournament MVP honors as South Carolina defeated LSU in the final. In that chaotic championship game, Fulwiley scored a game-high 24 points as she went 4-for-5 from behind the arc. As a sophomore, she collected All-SEC and SEC Sixth Player of the Year honors, in addition to a NCAA Tournament All-Region selection.

Over her 77-game South Carolina career, where she started three games, Fulwiley averaged 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game, along with authoring a catalog game-changing highlights.

At LSU, Fulwiley largely has occupied a similar role, serving as incomparable off-the-bench spark, as she has started just one of the Tigers’ 25 games. Her production has perked up with a moderate increase in minutes, with averages of 13.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and an absurd 3.2 steals per game. Although her 3-point shot has been subpar for most of the season, she’s been finishing more efficiently from other areas of the floor, while also earning a career-best 3.1 free throws per game.

Certainly, Fulwiley shouldn’t step on the court at Pete Maravich Assembly Center on Saturday night with any extra burden to be the very best player.

Yet, a high-profile women’s college basketball star who transferred to a rival in-conference school, the extra scrutiny is inevitable. Fulwiley has enough of track record in big games, along with the necessary talent, to meet the moment, dazzling with highlight-worthy plays that deliver the upset win to LSU. The unapologetic ambitiousness that makes her such a special player, however, can also get the best of her, resulting in overeager and ultimately questionable decisions.

And while Fulwiley may have recently expressed appreciation for the greater freedom she is permitted to play with under Mulkey, her new head coach has failed to beat her old head coach since assuming the job at LSU.

Now in her fifth season in charge, Mulkey is 0-5 against South Carolina. And LSU’s woes against the Gamecocks go back much further, as South Carolina has won 17-straight games over the Tigers. Although this matchup, the fifth-straight top-10 showdown between the two teams, has the intensity of a real rivalry, the scoreboard suggests otherwise.

South Carolina’s record that reminds that basketball is a team sport. And no matter who is or isn’t playing for her team, Staley has made sure to find a way a win. Will Saturday night be any different?