Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers made a statement on Tuesday, snagging former South Carolina Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley from the transfer portal. By doing so, Mulkey and the Tigers are making a statement that they're coming for Dawn Staley's Gamecocks in the 2025-26 women's college basketball season.
The Tigers had a strong 2024-25 campaign, going 31-6 overall and 12-4 in SEC Conference play, establishing themselves as one of the best teams in the country. They were the No. 3 seed in Regional 1 - Spokane in the NCAA Tournament, but were sent home in the Elite Eight by the UCLA Tigers.
While the Tigers had a season to be proud of, they did not win their conference or make it to the Final Four. The Gamecocks, on the other hand, accomplished both of those feats before losing to the UConn Huskies in the National Championship Game.
While landing Fulwiley, a player who didn't start a single game for Staley's Gamecocks this past season, might not seem like a huge deal on the surface, it's a move that could swing how things play out in the SEC in the upcoming campaign.
MiLaysia Fulwiley makes LSU a team Dawn Staley must take note of
Fulwiley's base statistics might not get LSU fans too excited at first glance. Over her two seasons with Staley, she averaged 11.7 points per game on 43.2/30.2/77.8 splits to go along with an average of 2.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
While sure, she didn't perform like a superstar with South Carolina, she was able to score nearly 12 points per game on average over the past two seasons while coming off the bench. She averaged just 18.7 minutes per game during her Gamecocks tenure, and still was able to average 12 points per contest.
She's a player obviously worth giving much more playing time to, but Staley used her to provide a spark off the bench. Her role should be expanded at LSU, giving the Tigers a chance to get a real breakout player with this pickup.
Does this move make the Tigers better than the Gamecocks? Probably not, considering how stout South Carolina is, but it certainly makes the SEC far more interesting and shows that Kim Mulkey's Tigers are coming for Staley's Gamecocks in the upcoming season.