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Opposing Coach Says What 'Must Be Nice' About MiLaysia Fulwiley's South Carolina Role

Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors had distinct praise for MiLaysia Fulwiley after South Carolina's huge win on Thursday.
Grant Young|
Feb 9, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Feb 9, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley (12) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team produced a 40-point win against Arkansas on February 20 in a typical team-wide scoring effort for the defending national champions.

The Gamecocks had five players scoring in double-digits during this 95-55 win. And while sophomore star MiLaysia Fulwiley didn't lead the team in points (she had 15 while Joyce Edwards added 18), some of hers were certainly the flashiest.

When speaking about Fulwiley's penchant for jaw-dropping plays like the behind-the-back backward layup she made on Thursday, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said, "She's gonna do something. Like if she is on the break and pass the ball up to her, she's gonna do something.

"I just hope it's something that's positive that we can get a bucket, a point, something."

Arkansas head coach Mike Neighbors was also asked about Fulwiley after his team's loss and praised her in a different way.

"Yeah, it must be nice to bring her off the bench," Neighbors said of Fulwiley, per an X post from Matt Dowell. "And I know she excels in that role, I know she has accepted it. It's unbelievable. But, you know, you're a little gassed and she comes in, and she takes it to another level.

"Her offense a lot of times gets the flash, but what she does defensively," Neighbors added. "She just disrupts... they got 56 points off the bench, and it just speaks to the depth that they've got, and going into March, that's very very important."

Even after the Gamecocks lost Ashlyn Watkins for the season, they still boast the deepest roster in all of women's college basketball.

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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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