MiLaysia Fulwiley Reveals How Dawn Staley Kept It Real in South Carolina Recruitment
South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball standout MiLaysia Fulwiley has been at the center of much discussion this season, especially regarding her role with the defending NCAA champions.
What's for sure is that all eyes are glued to Fulwiley when she's on the court, given her generational play-making ability combined with the dazzling flashiness she sometimes employs.
Fulwiley, who is currently a sophomore, was the No. 13 recruit of the 2023 high school class according to ESPN. As a result, she was considered a coveted recruit by many colleges who were extremely eager to sign her.
But Fulwiley (who's from Columbia, which is where the University of South Carolina is located) chose Dawn Staley's squad. And she revealed why in a December 30 feature video that was posted on X by the South Carolina women's basketball account.
"Most schools... was scared to offer and talk to me, because 'she's going to South Carolina,'" Fulwiley said. "This is the number one school, I'm from here, I live here, why would I go somewhere else?"
Fulwiley then added, "I really enjoyed all of my [recruiting visits], but Dawn, she wasn't giving me any false narratives, saying, 'Oh yeah, you're going to do this, you're doing to do that.' Nah, she was going to say, 'We have what you need here. If you want to go to the WNBA, we have all the tools if you just work hard, and I see you being a generational player.'
"She told me she believed in me, and I felt safe when talking to her," Fulwiley added of Staley. "It felt like home."
From the parks and courts where she grew up, @milaysiaf shares her roots, her why and what she wants her legacy to be on and off the court. pic.twitter.com/sC8CrPMMMA
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) December 30, 2024
Despite still not cracking the Gamecocks starting lineup, the National Championship Fulwiley won last season shows she made a great choice by staying home.
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.