South Carolina coach Dawn Staley’s No. 2 Gamecocks suffered their first loss of the season, 66-64, to the No. 4 Texas Longhorns. Texas guard Rori Harmon drained a go-ahead jumper with 0.7 seconds left to win the Longhorns the Players’ Era Festival championship game against their SEC rivals.
Fans Mock Dawn Staley With MiLaysia Fulwiley Taunts After Defeat
After the Gamecocks’ first defeat of the season, fans on X used MiLaysia Fulwiley’s shock transfer to the LSU Tigers to blast Staley, who mainly utilized her from the bench during her two seasons in Columbia.
“Dawn completely mishandled a potential great in FULWILEY…latson isnt half the complete two-way competitor Lay is… Fulwiley will be in the w n b a, latson wont..,” one fan tweeted.
“Latson just isn’t a good player. She’s never gonna get the criticism Fulwiley got cause she’s Raven’s best friend,” another fan tweeted.
“Sc thought replacing Fulwiley with Latson was gonna be the difference,” one fan tweeted.
“Fulwiley made the right decision… Latson went from looking like she was going to be in consideration for the #1 pick at FSU to possibly out of the lottery… South Carolina just isn’t the place to be if you’re a combo guard,” another fan tweeted.
“NOBODY on that team can create a shot for themselves other than Joyce! AND my girl plays wild. Lay had handles & A SHOT! They’re missing her, IDC what none of these other fans say!” One fan tweeted.
Despite being at South Carolina for two seasons, Fulwiley only started three of her 77 games played for the Gamecocks under Staley before she entered the portal in April and joined coach Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers.
Staley Wished Fulwiley Well After USC Departure
During an appearance on the “Breakfast Club” in April, Staley wished Fulwiley well after she entered the transfer portal, despite the talented guard joining South Carolina’s SEC rivals, Mulkey’s LSU.
“Surprising? No. Being in this space, you come to expect the unexpected,” Staley said. “I still have much love for MiLaysia, like much love. I want her happy. She came in, she said, ‘I think I want to get into the transfer portal.’ And I said, ‘Okay. Well, you think, or you know?’ And she said, ‘I know.’ And I said, ‘Well, I only want you happy.'”
“I thought MiLaysia was getting better. I saw a whole lot of growth, on and off the court. LSU’s gonna get the best of her now. I still have much love for MiLaysia, like much love. I want her happy.”
Under Staley, Fulwiley won the SEC Tournament last year and was named the tournament MVP. She was also a key member of the 2024 national championship-winning Gamecocks and led South Carolina back to the national championship game last season.