Women's Fastbreak On SI

Lisa Leslie Questions if 'Grass is Greener' for MiLaysia Fulwiley After LSU Transfer

WNBA legend Lisa Leslie openly questioned whether former South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley will find the success she seeks at LSU.
Grant Young|
Mar 30, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) works the ball down the court against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Mar 30, 2025; Birmingham, AL, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) works the ball down the court against the Duke Blue Devils during the first half of an Elite 8 NCAA Tournament basketball game at Legacy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

One of the biggest developments of the NCAA women's basketball offseason was former South Carolina star MiLaysia Fulwiley entering the transfer portal and then committing to LSU at the end of April.

While many people have offered their opinions on Fulwiley's decision, her former head coach, Dawn Staley, has not spoken on the matter. However, when speaking with Women's Fastbreak on SI for a May 2 interview, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie (who has been friends with Staley since she was 16 years old) detailed her opinion about Fulwiley's decision.

"Losing MiLaysia Fulwiley, that one I think is a little bit difficult. That hurts," Leslie said of South Carolina's transfer portal moves. "I mean, I'm saying that as a fan on the outside, just because you can really see the potential of where her game was going. But sometimes players don't really have the patience to sit and stay in line. Everybody wants to play now, and they want to play the whole time. And I get it. It's not that any kid shouldn't want to, but we'll see if the grass is greener on the other side.

"I'm sure playing for LSU, MiLaysia will have more of a green light," she added. "My biggest suggestion [to college transfers] is remember that you're the same player. Your work ethic has to continually improve,
and you have to look at yourself in the mirror and figure out what's the good and the bad, and how you can fix that? Because a lot of times we want to escape difficult times, and we want to be protected in those spaces. But life is not always easy. Sometimes it is hard.
And you have to figure out ways to get through the hard parts, too."

It will be fascinating to see how Fulwiley fares in her first college season away from Dawn Staley.

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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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