Not Paige Bueckers or Juju Watkins: this is Stephen Curry’s favorite player in the Women’s NCAA Tournament
The South Carolina Gamecocks started their NCAA Tournament campaign on Friday and blew out Tennessee Tech in the first round from Columbia, SC.
The NCAA Women’s basketball tournament started on Friday, and after this weekend there will be just 16 teams remaining. One of those teams hoping to get to next weekend and deep into the tournament is the University of South Carolina, and their star point guard Milaysia Fulwiley.
Women taking over college hoops?
It’s been a narrative for the last few years around college hoops and honestly, it seems to be becoming more and more of a reality. The women’s tournament currently has more star power than the men’s tournament. Between Milaysia Fulwiley, Juju Watkins and Paige Bueckers there are must see games basically all weekend long.
The guys have Cooper Flagg, but that’s about as polarizing of a star as it gets. With NIL, and the landscape of college basketball changing it’s hard to keep up with the guys. For the last few years, the women have had established, bonafide superstars. Think of Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese last year.
The biggest basketball stars in the world are taking notice, and Steph Curry even donned a shirt of the Gamecock’s superstar. There are flashes of Curry in Fulwiley’s game. She’s not the tallest or the strongest, but she is shifty, has incredible ball handling skills and is electric with the ball in her hands.
Deadly on both sides of the ball 👌 @MilaysiaF pic.twitter.com/QzAj8sQFSh
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) March 21, 2025
Gamecocks looking for title No. 4
When Milaysia saw the NBA’s all-time leading three point shooter wearing a shirt with her face on it, she said she was almost brought to tears. “It’s a blessing. When I seen it I couldn’t really say nothing, but I almost cried honestly.”
South Carolina was 31-3 coming into the tournament, and Fulwiley averaged 12.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists while playing less than a full half of the 40 minute game. They blew out a lot of teams, so coach Dawn Staley usually dipped deep into her bench to get some of her younger players minutes.
The Gamecocks beat the Golden Eagles of Tennessee Tech 108-48 as Fulwiley put up 15 and 5 assists in just 19 minutes in the first round match up. They will play Indiana in the next round as they pursue their fourth NCAA tournament title in school history.
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