MiLaysia Fulwiley’s Electrifying Performance Ignites South Carolina in SEC Tournament Blowout
GREENVILLE, S.C. — MiLaysia Fulwiley had already delivered one jaw-dropping moment—grabbing a defensive rebound, sprinting the full length of the court, and finishing with an acrobatic layup to give South Carolina a six-point lead with 16 seconds left in the first quarter. But she wasn’t done.
As Vanderbilt’s Leilani Kapinus casually dribbled near midcourt, Fulwiley saw her opportunity. She lunged, stole the ball, and dashed toward the other end. With just three seconds left on the clock, she knew she didn’t have time for another layup. Instead, she pulled up just inside the three-point line and let it fly.
Swish.
The Bon Secours Wellness Arena erupted as Fulwiley celebrated with her signature arrow-shooting pose.
“I saw how she was dribbling casually, so I was like, ‘I might as well just try to take it. There’s only two seconds left,’” Fulwiley said. “When I took it, I was like, ‘Well, I have to shoot it.’ I felt very comfortable shooting it… I kind of knew it was going in when I took it.”
A Walking Highlight Reel
These aren’t the types of plays most players even attempt, but for Fulwiley, they’re routine. Her rare blend of speed, strength, and agility has made her a viral sensation, and on Friday afternoon, she put it all on display in South Carolina’s 84-63 SEC Tournament quarterfinal win over Vanderbilt.
“MiLaysia is a talent, a generational talent,” said Dawn Staley. “When I say that she can do things on the basketball court that I haven’t seen a female do, that’s one. She consistently does it. When she has got it going on, she pumps tempo. Her speed to me is her superpower. No one on the court can keep in front of her when she’s got it going on.”
And Fulwiley wasn’t done with the first-quarter heroics.
Late in the second quarter, with South Carolina up 42-19, she grabbed a loose ball, sprinted past defenders, and pulled off an absurd finish—lifting the ball over the outstretched hand of Iyana Moore, switching directions in midair, and gently tapping it off the glass for two.
In the fourth quarter, she showed off her playmaking skills, dishing out a slick behind-the-back pass to Sania Feagin, who finished the play with an easy bucket.
“They give me the confidence to want to make that pass in the game, knowing that they’re going to finish and actually catch it,” Fulwiley said. “My confidence stays high every day. I’m a conceited person, so I feel like my teammates just make it easier for me to want to do those things.”
Impact Beyond the Highlights
While Fulwiley’s plays stole the show, her overall performance was just as impressive. She finished second on the team in points (15) on 6-of-12 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, and recorded four steals, which led directly to five South Carolina points.
Her teammate, Te-Hina Paopao, knows the Gamecocks are at their best when Fulwiley’s confidence is soaring.
“When she’s playing fun, playing free, she’s a different type of player,” Paopao said. “She came up big today.”
Maryam Dauda, who sees Fulwiley dominate in practice every day, put it simply:
“You can’t stop her. You just have to let Lay be Lay and try to stop her,” Dauda said. “But she’s unstoppable.”
As South Carolina marches forward in the SEC Tournament, one thing is clear—when MiLaysia Fulwiley is locked in, there’s no stopping her.
