MiLaysia Fulwiley is leaving South Carolina.
Multiple reports on Friday afternoon — first by LuLu Kesin of the Greenville News and later confirmed by SB Nation — indicated that the stellar sophomore will enter the transfer portal and depart the Gamecocks.
Fulwiley, a 5-foot-10 guard with the ability to create head-turning highlights, had been a key contributor to Dawn Staley’s team over the past two seasons, in which they captured two SEC championships, made two Final Fours, won the national title last year, and went 73-4 overall. Fulwiley was the MVP of the SEC Tournament as a freshman and earned an honorable mention All-American nod from the Associated Press this past season as a sophomore. She was also the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year this season.
However, as the Gamecocks’ campaign wound down, there was much speculation online by fans and media members — and quietly behind the scenes by folks in coaching circles in the sport — as to whether Fulwiley would remain on Staley’s team. Chatter about Fulwiley entering the transfer portal only grew louder this week when the nation’s leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, joined South Carolina via transfer from Florida State.
One could make the case that Fulwiley didn’t improve as a sophomore as she continued to come off the bench for one of the nation’s deepest and most talented rosters. She played a total of just 36 more minutes this season from her rookie campaign and started zero games, finishing with a minutes per game average of 18.9. Fulwiley’s field goal percentage dropped 1.2 percentage points, and her 3-point success rate nosedived from 34.3 to 25.8 percent. Her assist-turnover ratio worsened as well, as did her PER, win shares and defensive rating.
Folks in women’s basketball wondered aloud, was Fulwiley not receiving more playing time because she wasn’t developing and maturing? Or, was she not improving because she wasn’t getting in-game minutes to work through her mistakes and shortcomings?
“I’ve probably lost recruits because I’m never going to tell any young person that you’re going to automatically start,” Staley said at the Final Four. “Young people, you need to bet on yourself. If you think you’re that good, you don’t need a handout. You just allow your work to speak for itself. If it finds you in the starting lineup — nameless, faceless, production is the thing that matters.”
Diana Taurasi on MiLaysia Fulwiley: “How is she not starting?”
— Mitchell Northam (@primetimeMitch) April 5, 2025
Staley is often incredibly loyal to her veterans. With three senior guards in front of Fulwiley in the starting lineup this past season — Raven Johnson, Te-Hina Paopao and Bree Hall — and with South Carolina playing at a championship-contending level, an opportunity for Fulwiley to start or play more meaningful minutes never came to fruition, even though Staley has called her a “generational talent.”
“Our depth has been a part of the success of our program. I mean, (Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson) could start, both of them. Joyce (Edwards) can start for any program. They chose to come to us because, one, you’re going to learn how to play — like really going to learn how to play. Two, you’re going to play a competitive schedule. Three, you’re going to play in front of the best fans in the country at an almost capacity clip,” Staley said. “They want to be pros. We produce pros. And I like to tell them that anybody on our team currently probably won’t start for a WNBA team. I don’t think so. So to come off the bench, to have franchises see you play and what would be your natural position for them, I think it’s a great thing.”
With Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson returning, Latson entering and perhaps more reinforcements on the way for the Gamecocks, Fulwiley could have found her playing time being in a similar situation next season.
But there’s no question that Fulwiley has the talent to be a bonafide star and one of the faces of women’s college basketball. Several times this season, she’s bailed South Carolina out of sticky situations and powered her team to wins.
Most recently, she had 23 points, five rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes of action a four-point Sweet 16 victory for the Gamecocks against Maryland. In the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, Fulwiley scored a career-best-tying 24 points in 19 minutes against Vanderbilt. In the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, she had 19 points and five assists in a win over Oklahoma.
Under Armour and the Curry Brand took notice of Fulwiley’s budding skills, signing her to an NIL deal and giving Fulwiley her own signature shoes. Curry himself has worn shirts bearing her likeness. She also has an NIL deal with Red Bull.
Fulwiley plays the game with swagger, electricity, creativeness and at times, recklessness. Those qualities have made her a must-watch player, for better and for worse. One apt comparison may be to a gunslinging rookie quarterback — one who is going to throw some boneheaded interceptions, but make up for them with incredible feats of playmaking and athleticism. She’s pulled off acrobatic layups, behind-the-back and no-look passes, and even connected on mid-air alley-oops. She’s a master at improvisation and a creator of chaos on the basketball court. Fulwiley can be both brilliant and frustrating, but her potential seems unlimited.
Wherever she goes next, that team will have a lot of eyeballs on it.
Where might Fulwiley fit in best for the 2025-26 season? Can she blossom into a First Team All-American and a can’t-miss WNBA prospect? Can she power her new squad to a Final Four?
These are not sourced predictions. We’re just spitballing here. Let’s speculate…
Ole Miss
The Rebels were among the five finalists to land Fulwiley out of high school as her recruitment wound down. She was ranked as the 13th best recruit in the 2023 class and tabbed as a five-star prospect by ESPN. Under head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss has gone to four straight NCAA Tournaments and has twice appeared in the Sweet 16. Coach Yo has assembled those talented rosters largely through the transfer portal, where she has already landed a handful of high-profile commitments in this cycle. If Fulwiley wants to remain in the SEC and continue to play part of her postseason in Greenville’s Bon Secours Wellness Arena — where she won four state championships — the Rebels could be a fit.
Louisville
Jeff Walz’s Cardinals were another team that was a finalist for the McDonald’s All-American back in the fall of 2022. The program has a history of winning, going to 14 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. They’ve also gone to four Final Fours since 2009. Walz also has a history of preparing players for the professional ranks, as the likes of Dana Evans, Emily Engstler, AD Durr, Angel McCoughtry and Myisha Hines-Allen have come through the program. Walz has produced 12 WNBA players and five first-round draft picks. Fulwiley would immediately be the top player on Louisville’s roster and would play in front of a crowd that has led the ACC in attendance for several years.
Clemson
Fulwiley grew up in Columbia, South Carolina, and attended W.J. Keenan High School — about 10 miles from Colonial Life Arena. Staying close to home was a big factor in why she chose to sign with the Gamecocks out of high school. If she wants to stay within the state, the Gamecocks’ rival could be an option. Clemson hasn’t been all that successful in women’s basketball in recent years — making the NCAA Tournament just once since 2003 — but the program has momentum and is showing signs of improvement as coach Shawn Poppie heads into his second season. The Tigers saw a spike in attendance this past year, beat Stanford in the ACC Tournament, and have picked up a handful of talented transfers already this cycle. Fulwiley could be the catalyst and face of the next era of Clemson women’s basketball.
Maryland
It’s unclear how much sway Under Armour and the Curry Brand will have in Fulwiley’s decision, but if they want her to play for a school that wears UA, the Terps could be a solid fit. Maryland — the alma mater of Under Armour founder Kevin Plank — will need a guard to fill the shoes of Shyanne Sellers and someone to share a backcourt with Bri McDaniel. Brenda Frese has already added a post and a wing — Gracie Merkle and Yarden Garzon — in the portal, and the hypothetical addition of Fulwiley would make Maryland a Final Four contender. Like Walz, Frese knows how to prepare players for the WNBA too — producing 20 WNBA players and 13 first round picks.
Notre Dame
Hannah Hidalgo is back for the Fighting Irish, but Niele Ivey has work to do in the portal and recruiting to rebuild a contending roster around the ACC Player of the Year. Adding Fulwiley would give Notre Dame the best and most entertaining backcourt pairing in the country, one would that be an absolute menace for opponents in transition and on both ends of the floor. Oh, and the Irish wear Under Armour too.
