Dawn Staley Addresses MiLaysia Fulwiley Matchup Before South Carolina-LSU Clash

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley made it clear how she thinks MiLaysia Fulwiley factors in to the matchup against LSU.

Oct 14, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley talks with the media during SEC Media Days at Grand Bohemian Hotel. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

Saturday night's game between South Carolina and LSU is arguably the marquee matchup of the entire NCAA women's basketball season.

This is of course in part due to the Gamecocks being ranked No. 3 in the country, with the Tigers positioned at No. 6. And also given the two teams are rival titans in the SEC.

However, the clash has even extra juice this year due to the MiLaysia Fulwiley factor, since the highlight heavy guard made waves by transferring from South Carolina to LSU in the offseason.

Fulwiley's former coach, South Carolina's Dawn Staley, addressed this aspect of the contest from team practice on Friday.

"They're just a part of the personnel of the other team now. Do we want to win? Absolutely. I don't want to win because it's MiLaysia Fulwiley. I want to win because we've got a chance to win the SEC. We've got a chance to hopefully keep a number one seed on Selection Sunday night," Staley said.

Dawn Staley on playing former players:

"They're just a part of the personnel of the other team now... I don't wanna win because it's MiLaysia Fulwiley"@GamecockWBB @wachfox pic.twitter.com/aFvDSwFkbo

— Jared Parker (@jaredparkertv) February 13, 2026

"The MiLaysia dynamic, that's the narrative that's created to drum up the publicity for the game. For us, it's not. She was treated as Mikaylah Williams. She was treated as Flau'jae Johnson. Going down the line, we're not putting anything extra, we're not going to do anything to her that is outside the norm. We're going to play the game," she added.

Staley's Comments Mirror Kim Mulkey's

Tigers Head Coach Kim Mulkey, LSU Tigers Women’s Basketball take on the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Staley's sentiment was similar to what LSU coach Kim Mulkey had to say earlier in the week on the same topic.

"I don't know that I have to really do anything. I think about when you're a player, you're out there trying to do the best you can for the team you play for. I don't look for it as extra pressure," Mulkey said when asked about how she can help Fulwiley deal with the expectations around the matchup.

"Internally a competitor wants to do really good against their former team, but in my talks with her she's never said anything ugly about South Carolina. She just wanted to go somewhere where she would have an opportunity to learn the point guard position. She liked our style of play," she added.

MiLaysia Fulwiley 23, LSU Tigers Women’s Basketball take on the Alabama Crimson Tide at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Regardless of how much the respective coaches attempt to downplay it, Fulwiley's performance in the game will certainly be a central storyline in the showdown—with the large audience the game will garner likely keeping a close eye on how she performs against her former team.