South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley Named Finalist for Prestigious Dawn Staley Award
COLUMBIA, S.C. – MiLaysia Fulwiley, the electrifying sophomore guard for South Carolina women’s basketball, has been named one of four finalists for The Dawn Staley Award, the Phoenix Club of Philadelphia announced. The award honors the top NCAA Division I player who embodies the elite ball-handling, scoring, playmaking, and relentless winning mentality that defined Dawn Staley’s legendary career.
Fulwiley has been a game-changer for the Gamecocks, recently earning SEC Sixth Woman of the Year honors and a spot on the All-SEC Second Team. She followed that up with a dominant performance in the SEC Tournament, helping South Carolina secure its third-straight conference title and earning a place on the SEC Tournament All-Tournament Team.
A Columbia, S.C., native, Fulwiley is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.0 points per game, with that number rising to 13.4 in SEC play. She has scored in double figures in 11 of her last 13 games, including a career-high 24-point explosion against Vanderbilt. She has also led the team in scoring seven times this season.
Beyond her offensive prowess, Fulwiley has embraced her defensive role, emerging as one of the top defensive guards in the SEC. She ranks 10th in the conference in blocks per game and is the top shot-blocking guard in the league. She also sits ninth in steals per game, recording at least three steals in eight games, including five against top-15 opponents.
With South Carolina eyeing another deep postseason run, the No. 2-ranked Gamecocks now await their NCAA Tournament seeding, which will be revealed on Sunday, March 16, at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
The Dawn Staley Award Finalists:
- Paige Bueckers, UConn
- MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
- Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
- JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal
