MiLaysia Fulwiley has left South Carolina after they were dominated in the NCAA Championship game after she had been forced to come off the bench for the season, perhaps wanting to become a starter.

MiLaysia Fulwiley had nothing but positive words for Dawn Staley after South Carolina’s season ended in heartbreak – losing in the National Championship game – before announcing her intentions to enter the transfer portal.

Fulwiley will leave the Gamecocks after spending two years with the school, winning a National Championship in her first year and making it to the final in the second.

A rising star at college level, Fulwiley has been a bench player for Staley’s team, set behind a loaded backcourt which has been incredibly successful. She had been slated to step into a starting role next season but instead will operate at another school for at least the next two years.

The announcement comes as a surprise, with many wondering why Fulwiley would walk away from the school where she’d be expected to be a star, having already set her legacy as part of a team to win a championship.

It was questioned whether Fulwiley’s relationship with Staley had anything to do with her decision, but the 19-year-old did not appear to feel any negative ways towards her at the end of last season.

Speaking of her progression as a player through her first two years at South Carolina, Fulwiley said: “I think my growth has been tremendous. I think I’ve grown in lots of places where I didn’t even know I could grow in. I’m just glad to be here in a program where the coaches are kind of very open and very direct with what they want and what they need from each and every one of us.
Dawn Staley and MiLaysia Fulwiley won the 2024 national championship.
“I think I kind of just took what they were saying, and I had to understand that it’s either I do it or I don’t. I felt like I wanted to do it. It’s been working for me lately. So the standard that Dawn has got here is great, and I think every player should want to play under this standard. It just brings out the best in each and every one of us, and I think it definitely brings out the best in me.”

Throughout the 2024–25 season, Staley frequently praised Fulwiley’s dynamic skill set and potential, however, her playing time had dwindled throughout the season – sometimes playing less than 10 minutes a game. She will now have a huge pool of school’s to pick from after entering the portal.