Latest news with #MiLaysiaFulwiley
USA Today
09-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Projecting the 2025 LSU women's basketball starting lineup after transfer season
Projecting the 2025 LSU women's basketball starting lineup after transfer season LSU women's basketball added multiple players to its roster during the spring transfer portal window and said goodbye to some high-level contributors from last season. All-American Aneesah Morrow departed for the WNBA, while fellow forwards Sa'Myah Smith and Jersey Wolfenbarger moved on to other teams. Luckily, the Tigers return their two biggest backcourt contributors from last season, who both averaged double-digit scoring, and bring in highly-touted newcomers. With the top 2026 recruiting class coming in along with three transfers, the competition for playing time under head coach Kim Mulkey will be fierce. She needs to construct a new frontcourt and set a rotation on the perimeter that features her returning scorers. MiLaysia Fulwiley and Kailyn Gilbert will both contend for minutes at the guard spots. For a team that holds championship aspirations, LSU needs to build chemistry quickly and establish rhythm moving the ball around the perimeter and through the lane. Without the double-double machine that Morrow was, the Tigers need to find their next paint presence as a rebounder and scorer. Here is a projected starting lineup for LSU's first game of the season. MiLaysia Fulwiley, Point Guard Fulwiley transferred to LSU from South Carolina for a chance to start on an SEC team. She'll earn that shot under Mulkey, who will allow her to show off her creativity on the offensive end and in transition. She averaged 11.7 points per game in each of her two seasons as a Gamecock. While she has much to improve on defensively, Fulwiley is a shoo-in to start for the Tigers. She combines individual excellence as a scorer with high-pressure postseason experience, winning a national championship and another Final Four game in her young career. Flau'Jae Johnson, Guard Johnson came back for her senior year to win a second NCAA Tournament title for the Tigers. She started from the second she arrived on campus as a freshman and helped lead LSU to the first national championship. After an injury hindered her postseason in 2024-25, she's hungry for wins. The All-American and First Team All-SEC selection led the team in scoring for much of 2024-25, averaging 18.6 points per contest on 47% shooting from the field. Johnson is the undisputed leader for the upcoming year. Mikaylah Williams, Guard Williams enjoyed a breakout sophomore season, cementing herself as a scoring threat and paint presence. She showed off her ball-handling skills as LSU lacked a true point guard last season while also mixing it up in the paint. Expect her to take another huge step, especially if the Tigers don't get the paint production needed out of their forwards. With 17.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 2024-25, Williams often came alive in late game scenarios. She hit multiple last-minute shots in SEC play, including at Alabama to force overtime. With big game experience and individual success, Williams will reclaim her starting spot as a junior. Grace Knox, Forward A McDonald's All-American, Knox comes in as a proven scorer and rebounder. As a junior, she came back from a season-long injury to average 17.2 points and 11.9 rebounds while leading her team to state and national championships. At six-foot-three, Knox contributes in all facets offensively, driving the paint in transition and finishing through contact. The Las Vegas native uses her frame to compete on the glass and challenge shots. The SEC boasts some of the nation's biggest forwards and Knox will need to prove she can be physical inside. Mulkey is not afraid to play first-year collegiate players immediately, especially those as gifted as Knox. Kate Koval, Center Koval completes the retooled pairing down low for LSU. She turned in a strong freshman season as she totaled 55 blocks with averages of 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for Notre Dame. Primarily a reserve, she averaged 18 minutes per game and saw lots of time in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments. A highly-touted high school prospect, Koval was down to the Fighting Irish and Tigers in her process. Alignment with Mulkey will take her far in terms of furthering her development as a scoring threat. She's an easy choice for LSU's front court leader.
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Best women's college basketball transfer portal fits: MiLaysia Fulwiley at LSU and more
More than 1,500 Division I women's basketball players entered the portal this season, including nearly 300 power conference players — that's an average of four players per power conference team. With most of the top transfers finding their landing spots, it's time to look again at the landscape of the sport. The best players in the portal had a chance to improve their future team's ceilings, locate a better spot for themselves or receive more NIL money. But from a basketball perspective alone, some of these fits — especially those who seem to be the perfect puzzle piece on some national title and conference title contending teams — were just … chef's kiss. Let's examine five players (in alphabetical order) who seem to be perfect fits at their new programs: MiLaysia Fulwiley, LSU 2024-25 stats (at South Carolina): 11.7 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 SPG (19 minutes per game); 43 percent FG, 26 percent 3-point FG Fulwiley's transfer to LSU makes an already great SEC rivalry that much spicier (Thank you, basketball gods). This fit is pretty dang appealing for other reasons as well. The duo of Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams gave the Tigers a high-octane playmaking backcourt. Adding Fulwiley? Yeesh. Talk about showtime in Baton Rouge. Transition time has slowly ticked upward in Kim Mulkey's four seasons at LSU. Last season, the Tigers spent nearly a quarter of their possessions in transition, and with the addition of Fulwiley to the Johnson-Williams backcourt, I'm assuming that number will go even higher. All three players can create or score in transition, and adding Kate Koval (Notre Dame) as a center who is ready to run the floor gives them a dump-off option in the paint, too. It's a role that Fulwiley, in her limited minutes, played well at South Carolina, as 45 percent of her scoring and 39 percent of her assists came in transition. Fulwiley also gives the Tigers versatility in their pick-and-roll game. They often used high screening actions last season with Aneesah Morrow at the four. If LSU goes small and runs Jada Richard at the point, bumping Fulwiley-Johnson-Williams to the two through four, then Williams becomes the player setting high-ball screens. Though she doesn't have the same inside presence as Morrow, her ability to step out and knock down 3s makes this pick-and-roll option with ballhandlers like Fulwiley or Johnson a fun two-player game. Last season, Williams acted as a ball screener only four times, including twice when she hit 3-pointers. So, LSU can see how this new wrinkle changes its offensive schemes, considering pick-and-rolls and spot-ups were the Tigers' most common possessions in half-court play. With Fulwiley as the ballhandler (and ability to score at all three levels, including — like below — in the midrange) and Williams as the screener (and Johnson off-ball), defenses will be forced into a true p ick-your-poison. Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA 2024-25 stats (at Utah): 19.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.0 APG (30 minutes per game); 50.4 percent FG, 44.8 percent 3-point FG At Utah — both under Lynne Roberts (who departed early last season for the vacant L.A. Sparks job) and current coach Gavin Petersen — Kneepkens played in a unique offense that basically ignored the midrange. In fact, Kneepkens has attempted exactly 89 midrange jumpers in her career (roughly eight percent of her total shots). UCLA doesn't skew quite this extreme, but it isn't exactly a midrange-loving team — only 12 percent of its field goal attempts were midrange shots last season. Timea Gardiner was last season's most efficient 3-point shooter, knocking down nearly 40 percent of her attempts, but Kneepkens' 45 percent 3-point shooting (with a 63 percent effective field goal percentage) will give UCLA's offense a secondary counterweight to Lauren Betts in the post, which should benefit both players. Kneepkens is better than almost anyone in the nation on either wing or in the left corner, which will allow the Bruins to set her up to force defenses to shade more to her. That also will open driving lanes for Kiki Rice and provide more space in the paint for Betts. More than one-third of her 3-pointers last season came from catch-and-shoot scenarios, off which she shot 48 percen t, mostly because of her quick release. Because defenses had to respect her elite 3-point shooting, Utah also loved running Kneepkens off high screens. If defenders went under, she could step back and knock down a triple, but she also has the size and ballhandling to attack the basket. (Most of her limited midrange shots also came in these scenarios when she decided to stop and pop.) UCLA fans should be thrilled (and opponents terrified) about the potential of a Kneepkens-Betts two-player game. UCLA didn't need to expand Betts' game outside of the paint, but Bruins coaches say the midrange game is in her wheelhouse. If coach Cori Close can put one of the nation's best 3-point shooters and the nation's best center (with an extended range) into some high two-player situations, it's dangerous. Betts has better size and hands than anyone Kneepkens has played with thus far. Then, consider Rice or Gabriela Jaquez off ball and ready to slash, or Gardiner standing by in the left deep corner (where she shot 44 percent from beyond the arc). I'm scratching my head trying to figure out how opponents will stop this. Let them cook, Cori! Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland 2024-25 stats (at Duke): 10.1 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.8 SPG (22 minutes per game); 47.3 percent FG, 30 percent 3-point FG Most players on this list joined more fully-formed teams, but Maryland reloaded almost entirely from the portal once again to replace losses of Shyanne Sellers, Sarah Te Biasu and Christina Dalce to graduation or the WNBA. Okananwa makes it onto this list because coach Brenda Frese has perfected the art of adding multiple key transfers and continuing to chug along. Even with the additions of Yarden Garzon and Gracie Merkle (who both will likely play large roles), Frese can quickly get these transfers to mesh with the returners and one another fairly quickly. To best understand the impact Okananwa can have, look no further than her three-game stretch during Duke's ACC tournament title run last season. She averaged 16 points, seven rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 65 percent, including a blistering 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. Unlocking Okananwa's offensive potential and giving her a bit more pace to play with is a recipe for expanding her game and getting the Terrapins back into the top third of the Big Ten after losing so much following a Sweet 16 run. I'm particularly excited to see Okananwa as Maryland's best perimeter defender. The Terrapins aren't exactly known for stout defense (Frese would much rather just outscore opponents), but Okananwa best fits into Maryland's identity because of her steal-and-score or steal-and-create abilities. Getting out in transition with Smikle and Garzon provides Maryland a fun transition game. Last season, the Terrapins were one of the Big Ten's best transition teams, shooting 51 percent and scoring nearly a quarter of their points there. Her defensive quickness and understanding of correct defensive positioning should steal a few possessions every game for Maryland. Madina Okot, South Carolina 2024-25 stats (at Mississippi State): 11.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 1.1 BPG (23 minutes per game); 65 percent FG The Gamecocks added two impressive players — Okot and Ta'Niya Latson — through the portal. As a go-to scorer and proven ballhandler, Latson's addition is exciting, but I love the prospect of 6-foot-6 Okot elevating South Carolina's chances to win a national title. The Gamecocks' interior defense last season didn't quite meet the standard of the previous few seasons, and some of that can be chalked up to uber-athletic Ashlyn Watkins missing most of the season with an ACL tear. In her absence, Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin did a nice job, but there was a noticeable difference from South Carolina's typical fierce rim-protecting presence when Dawn Staley utilized Kamilla Cardoso and Aliyah Boston. Opp. PPSA = Opponents' points per scoring attempt at the rim Okot is still a bit raw. Despite one season of eligibility remaining, she has played only one season of Division I hoops, after competing her first two seasons of college ball in Kenya. But she has the physical gifts and foundational tools for Staley's staff to mold her into a polished, effective rim protector and interior presence who can clear space on the outside for shooters like Latson, Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson to be as effective as they were during the 2023-24 season when Cardoso roamed the interior. Offensively, Okot moves well and runs the floor nicely for someone of her size, and she'll benefit from playing with multiple skilled, unselfish passers. On a team as deep as South Carolina, Okot won't need to score 20 points per game, but she will need to make open shots. I can't wait to see how Staley's crew uses Okot defensively. She'll be facing some SEC posts for a second season, so she has the knowledge base of her opponents' games, but the Gamecocks' defensive scheme should free her to make even more plays at the rim. Already, she's great at finding her assignment in transition and providing help (as seen below) while recovering to make big plays. Her size offers a change from 6-1 Kitts and 6-3 Joyce Edwards, but it'll be fun to see how the Gamecocks can zero in on getting her into better initial defensive positioning and helping off the ball to create turnovers. Serah Williams, UConn 2024-25 stats (at Wisconsin): 19.2 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 2.3 BPG (32 minutes per game); 49.3 percent FG The national champs lost Paige Bueckers but return Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, Ashlynn Shade, KK Arnold … the list goes on. The Huskies also bring in freshman Blanca Quiñonez, a 6-2 Ecuadorian forward who has been playing professionally in Italy for the last four years. She might just be the front-runner for Freshman of the Year. Adding a 6-4 former Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year who averaged a double-double last season is a case of the rich getting richer. Williams was perhaps the most sought after player in the portal, but she's a perfect fit on both sides of the ball for the Huskies. She'll bring a consistent inside presence that UConn lacked last season, while also allowing Strong to continue to roam all three levels offensively. Williams spent about half her possessions posting up for Wisconsin last year, and even as the Badgers' focal point, she was still super efficient, scoring 0.92 points per possession off each post up. (By comparison, Kiki Iriafen scored 0.97 points in each post up last season for USC.) Williams seals well and finds good positioning, even when she doesn't get the ball on her first open look, a nd she'll benefit from receiving crisper passes from better passers at UConn. She also could be the Huskies' best pure post defender in a minute, and their best rim protector/shot blocker since Olivia Nelson-Ododa. The Huskies were an exceptionally strong defensive team last season, but against top competition, they could've performed better by limiting paint scoring and keeping opponents off the offensive glass. (They were outrebounded on O-boards during the postseason.). Williams averaged more than seven defensive boards per game. She'll be a much more disciplined, active player in the interior who can log heavy, physical minutes, which will alleviate some of the burden stemming from UConn posts' foul troubles. (Photo of MiLaysia Fulwiley:)
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LSU Reacts to MiLaysia Fulwiley Announcement on Sunday
The LSU Tigers women's basketball team has stood atop the SEC for the past several year, led by head coach Kim Mulkey. LSU made its way to the Elite Eight this past season, falling to the UCLA Bruins, failing to make the Final Four. Despite the loss, the Tigers were able to earn victories over San Diego State, Florida State and NC State. Advertisement After the season, the Tigers had the task to revamp the roster. The biggest addition to Mulkey's roster was South Carolina Gamecocks transfer MaLaysia Fulwiley. On Sunday, LSU honored Fulwiley, who won the 3x3 National Championship in the USA Basketball edition. "MiLaysia Fulwiley is a USA Basketball 3x3 Champion," posted the official social media account of the LSU Tigers women's basketball team. Fulwiley wound up winning the MVP for the USA Basketball 3x3 national championship. She competed on the Team USA "Chaos" roster alongside Tessa Johnson, Chloe Kitts, Joyce Edwards and Madison McDaniel. LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim MulkeyJames Snook-Imagn Images Fulwiley made the move to LSU after two seasons with the South Carolina Gamecocks. She originally committed to the Gamecocks as one of the highest-ranked recruits in the high school ranks. Advertisement The talented guard helped lead South Carolina to a national title appearance during the 2024-25 college basketball season. The Gamecocks ultimately suffered a loss to Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies in the national championship During her last season at South Carolina, Fulwiley averaged 11.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. She posted similar numbers to her freshman season, where Fulwiley posted 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Related: Hailey Van Lith Sends Clear Message After MiLaysia Fulwiley Transfers to LSU Related: North Carolina Makes Announcement on Former Four-Star Recruit
USA Today
30-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley fared when she met LSU with South Carolina
How transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley fared when she met LSU with South Carolina LSU women's basketball pulled off one of the biggest flips during the spring transfer portal window by securing a commitment from MiLaysia Fulwiley. The guard heads to Baton Rouge after two seasons at South Carolina where she won a national championship and two SEC Tournament titles. Seeing the majority of her minutes off the bench, Fulwiley averaged 11.7 points and shot over 42% from the field in each of those seasons. Heading into her junior year, Fulwiley aims to carve out a starting role on head coach Kim Mulkey's team alongside Flau'Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. Her craftiness off the dribble in half court sets and in transition will fit with the Tigers' fast pace of play. Coming from an SEC school, Fulwiley faced off against LSU three times through her two seasons with the Gamecocks. She came out on the winning side of each contest, one of which was in the SEC championship. Here is how Fulwiley performed in each of her prior matchups with LSU. 2022-23 regular season at LSU In her first game against LSU, then the reigning national champions, Fulwiley scored eight points. She knocked down three of her six attempts from the field and drained two three-pointers as South Carolina mounted a second half comeback inside the PMAC to win 76-70. In one of her lower scoring games, Fulwiley played behind Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopoa, both of whom scored in double figures. She was one of four substitutes for head coach Dawn Staley's team against the Tigers. 2023 SEC Championship In what will be remembered as a heated back-and-forth contest, South Carolina prevailed over LSU 79-72 to claim the SEC Tournament title. Fulwiley led all scorers with a career-high 24 points on eight of 12 shooting from the field. She also made four of her five attempts from deep. Women's basketball fans will likely remember this performance from Fulwiley as the one that put her on the map of future stars. She propelled her team to victory as LSU couldn't come up with an answer to defending the freshman phenom. 2023-24 regular season at South Carolina Last season, South Carolina pulled away in the second half of a competitive contest to win 66-56 over LSU. Fulwiley saw almost 15 minutes of action off the bench and scored eight points against her future team. Perhaps Fulwiley's biggest impact was felt on the defensive end. She came away with three steals and two defensive rebounds against the Tigers. In a game where she shot two of 11 from the field and scored four of her points from the foul line, she found other ways to make an impact.
USA Today
29-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What impact will coveted transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley make at LSU?
What impact will coveted transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley make at LSU? LSU women's basketball secured a commitment from one of the sport's most coveted transfers last week, former South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley. After a couple weeks of rumors, Kim Mulkey and LSU made it official with the star guard. Fulwiley fills a big need for LSU. The Tigers add veteran experience to the backcourt and stabilize the point guard position, which was a problem for LSU the last two seasons. After spending two years at South Carolina, Fulwiley is acquainted with the SEC and playing in big moments. She was a key part of South Carolina's national championship-winning team in 2024 and again played a pivotal role during the Gamecocks' postseason run in 2025. She knows what it takes to win at the biggest level. With Fulwiley and Johnson in the backcourt, LSU doesn't lack championship pedigree. Both players have won it all and now look to make a national title run together. Here's what LSU cans can expect from Fulwiley in a LSU uniform. Fulwiley has the potential to be a dynamic game-changer What stood out the most when watching Fulwiley at South Carolina was her energy. She could come off the bench and completely change the mood of the game. The Gamecocks would feed off it. At LSU, Fulwiley will start, but a similar impact will be felt. Fulwiley's energy on the court is contagious. You want your point guard to make the entire team better. Fulwiley can do that. We saw Alexis Morris do a similar thing for LSU in 2023. Morris was the last Tiger to give LSU consistent play at the point guard position. Fulwiley impacts the game in an array of ways. She can drive to the rim or hit shots from deep. She can facilitate or create her shots. Shooting was streaky at times, but when Fulwiley is on, few are better. As she jumps to her junior year, it's fair to expect another step forward. Fulwiley's a good athlete and her speed allows her to play in transition, something that will make her a good fit at LSU. Big game experience Mulkey witnessed Fulwiley deliver in a big moment when South Carolina and LSU met for the SEC Championship in 2024. In a 79-72 South Carolina win, Fulwiley scored 24 points and notched two steals. Coming off the bench, she provided a spark for the Gamecocks. Fulwiley was feeling it deep, sinking four of five from behind the arch. It was enough to be the difference. Not long after, in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, Fulwiley combined for 37 points in the first and second rounds. In the national championship win over Iowa, Fulwiley scored none with four assists and four rebounds. In 2025, Fulwiley came up big when South Carolina was on the ropes vs. Maryland in the Sweet 16. She scored 23 points in a four-point win. She was an instant impact player as a freshman Fulwiley was one of the top-ranked recruits in her class. The talent flashed immediately as she made an instant impact as a true freshman in 2023-24. She played 18.4 minutes per game and averaged 11.7 points. Her presence was felt on the defensive end, racking up 1.7 steals per game. Thanks to her immediate playing time, Fulwiley already has 77 games of collegiate experience in two years. Why did Fulwiley leave South Carolina There's no clear-cut answer on why Fulwiley left Dawn Staley's squad. She was seeing the court enough to average double-digit scoring in both seasons, and few places offer a better shot at winning a national championship. It's possible Fulwiley was expecting to earn a starting role in 2025-26, but decided to enter the portal when South Carolina added former FSU star TiNiya Latson. Fulwiley is a Columbia native. She wasn't just leaving South Carolina, she was leaving her hometown. The choice to transfer to South Carolina's biggest rival adds intrigue, too. Does LSU finally have its point guard LSU has been looking for answers at the point guard position ever since Alexis Morris left. In 2023-24, LSU signed star transfer Hailey Van Lith, but point guard wasn't her natural position. There were some growing pains and Van Lith posted the worst numbers of her collegiate career and hit the portal. Last season, a few players had a chance to claim LSU's feature point guard role, but Mulkey never found the consistency she wanted to see. There are some consistency questions about Fulwiley, too, but there's a possibility LSU has the answer to a pressing need.
