All she wanted was 4 dribbles.
In South Carolina’s season opener towards Notre Dame, MiLaysia Fulwiley made headlines after she blew by a swarm of inexperienced jerseys with an elite behind-the-back transfer, ending with aptitude.
The Gamecocks would go on to dominate the Preventing Irish, 100-71, of their season opener held in Paris, France. Fulwiley completed the sport with 17 factors, six assists and 6 steals in her collegiate debut. And it didn’t take lengthy for her compelling stat line and spotlight clips to flood timelines.
Phrase traveled 4,000 miles again to the USA: a star was on the rise.
Gamecocks followers had been enlivened, haters had been quieted and the world was placed on discover. Since then, Fulwiley has simply saved on hoopin’. The Columbia, S.C. native is a burst of pace, simple swagger and geared up with a shot-making capacity and handles. It’s been clear from the beginning that she is particular, and since then, she’s been in her first season, averaging 11.7 factors and logging 82 assists and 63 steals. Her season crescendoed into the SEC Event closing matchup towards LSU, the place she dropped 24 factors off the bench. The silky-smooth sorcerer of the basketball was then rightfully topped the SEC Event MVP.
“MiLaysia is a generational participant, an artist who’s increasing her understanding of easy methods to marry all elements of her recreation day-after-day,” South Carolina head coach Daybreak Staley stated, per a press launch asserting Fulwiley had signed with Curry Model. “We’re studying issues from one another about easy methods to maximize her recreation, and it has been unbelievable to work together with her on that course of.”
Her flashy recreation is transcendent. “In relation to the power to alter the sport for good, no one can communicate to that greater than MiLaysia,” Stephen Curry stated. “She’s altering the ladies’s recreation on the fly with how she performs and strikes on the court docket.”
Whereas Fulwiley’s offensive prowess is simple, that isn’t all she will do. Regardless of being a pure scorer, Fulwiley isn’t afraid to point out up on the defensive finish of the ground: she grabbed 9 boards towards East Carolina and has a number of video games with six steals. And most impressively, she does all of this whereas coming off the bench.
It’s loopy to suppose Fulwiley is barely a freshman, however then once more, she’s serving to lead a brand new era of phenoms who don’t simply received subsequent, however proper now. Look no additional than her, SLAM 248 cowl star Juju Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo (to call just a few), and even her personal teammate, Tessa Johnson, who additionally dropped buckets in final evening’s iconic championship win towards Iowa.
Below the steerage of head coach Daybreak Staley, Fulwiley has shined all season lengthy. What we witnessed from her on this yr’s NCAA event is only a glimpse of what she will do: jaw-dropping performs, unreal dimes and finishes on the rim. She’s enjoyable, she’s received aptitude and she or he’s simply getting began.
Pictures by way of Getty Photos.