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Kim Mulkey Says Where MiLaysia Fulwiley Needs 'Growing Up' After LSU Loss

LSU Tigers Kim Mulkey made an interesting comment about MiLaysia Fulwiley after the team's January 1 loss.
Grant Young|
Nov 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers guard Milaysia Fulwiley (23)) reacts after a free throw with LSU Tigers guard Zakiyah Johnson (11) against the Tulane Green Wave during the second half at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers guard Milaysia Fulwiley (23)) reacts after a free throw with LSU Tigers guard Zakiyah Johnson (11) against the Tulane Green Wave during the second half at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in Devlin Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Perhaps the biggest story of the NCAA women's basketball offseason was MiLaysia Fulwiley's decision to transfer from the South Carolina Gamecocks, where she had spent two seasons under Dawn Staley, to play for Kim Mulkey with the LSU Tigers.

Not only was this transfer fascinating from a basketball perspective, but the fact that Fulwiley was going from one SEC rival to another (and two of the most iconic head coaches in college basketball) added even more intrigue.

Some felt that Fulwiley transferred from South Carolina because she hadn't earned a starting spot and wasn't happy about her playing time. If that is the case, then she probably isn't content with how her LSU tenure has gone to this point. She hasn't started in a single one of LSU's 15 regular season games, and is playing about one minute per game more with LSU this season than she did with South Carolina last year.

While this was easy to dismiss because LSU was dominating every team they'd played in the early portion of the season, their 80-78 loss to the No. 12-ranked Kentucky Wildcats on January 1 added a different perspective.

MiLaysia Fulwiley 23, LSU Womens Basketball takes on Texas Arlington. Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025.
MiLaysia Fulwiley 23, LSU Womens Basketball takes on Texas Arlington. Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Fulwiley only played 16 minutes in the loss, scoring just 2 points and tallying 1 rebound and 1 assist. The limited minutes were owed to her being in foul trouble, which limited what LSU could do on offense.

Kim Mulkey Delivers Blunt ‘Growing Up’ Comment on MiLaysia Fulwiley

When speaking with the media after the game, Mulkey was asked how much Fulwiley's being in foul trouble hurts the offense's efficiency.

"I don't think it's that, as much as it is when you can't get the rebound. If you can't get a defensive rebound, we can't go. And so, I thought that was the problem all night long is that we just couldn't get the rebound where we could run," Mulkey responded, per an X post from @theCHAMPSIDE.

"Foul trouble always takes you out of your rhythm. And I didn't get her off the floor quick enough to keep her from getting that third foul. I was trying; I had somebody at the table, and I decided I'm not going to call a timeout right there to get her off the floor," Mulkey continued.

"But some of that you have to know how many fouls you have. And so part of that is growing up, and knowing how many fouls that you have," she added.

While Mulkey seemingly wasn't trying to put Fulwiley down with that "growing up" comment, the fact that she said it in the first place is sure to raise some eyebrows after LSU's first loss this season.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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