Much of LSU women’s basketball’s offseason revolved around landing post players out of the transfer portal. But arguably its biggest splash came at the guard position.
Kim Mulkey and her staff reached into a fellow powerhouse and landed South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley shortly after entering her name into the transfer portal.
Fulwiley averaged 11.7 points per game, 2.8 rebounds per game and two assists per game this past season. However, despite being one of South Carolina’s most dynamic guards, she started just three of her 77 games in two seasons with the Gamecocks.
That was her role; to come off the bench and provide a spark, and she was often a force in doing so.
Now that she’s taking her career to LSU, a different role is certainly possible for the rising junior guard that’s done nothing but prove herself.
With two collegiate seasons under her belt, Fulwiley now joins Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams as experienced guards on the Tigers’ roster. Not to mention, Kailyn Gilbert will also be entering her fourth collegiate season, and her second at LSU.
LSU’s efforts in adding depth to its frontcourt was certainly the priority. Amiya Joyner, a transfer from East Carolina, brings experience to the front court with three collegiate seasons, all of which she averaged double figures in scoring. LSU also is in the running for rising senior forward, Serah Williams, who spent three seasons at Wisconsin.
Having the experience it now has in the backcourt could help cancel out the thinner numbers it has in the paint.
Fulwiley’s experience doesn’t come by just numbers, however. It also comes with hardware.
In her true freshman season, South Carolina won a national championship with an undefeated, 38-0 record. Like her sophomore season, Fulwiley came off the bench and averaged 11.7 points per game, 2.9 rebounds per game and 2.2 assists per game. She shot 43.8% from the field and 34.3% from three.
Johnson and Izzy Besselman were the only two returning players that played on LSU’s national championship team in 2023. Now, Fulwiley brings in that same experience that may prove to be invaluable.
While the talent on LSU’s newly constructed roster is looking to be one that can stay in the national spotlight, some were not so quick to have that expectation.
To some, Fulwiley’s pledge to LSU draws similarities to Hailey Van Lith joining LSU two seasons ago. While Van Lith’s talents were valuable, her fit in LSU’s system given her position wasn’t what it was drawn out to be.
Van Lith was forced to learn to be a true point guard, which was a step outside her comfort zone of being a shooting guard; a guard that the offense is often centered around. Van Lith found that fit at TCU, and led her Horned Frogs team to an Elite Eight.
Fulwiley, however, plays more of a combo guard style with the ability to both facilitate as a point guard and play as a shooting guard.
With Johnson and Williams filling the shooting guard roles, Fulwiley now has the opportunity to both facilitate and score at LSU.
Mulkey and LSU’s staff hit a home run when they signed Fulwiley. From an experience standpoint, talent standpoint and play style standpoint, adding Fulwiley is certainly a move that can keep LSU in the national spotlight, and a move that has certainly sent shockwaves across women’s college basketball.
