Dawn Staley says playing MiLaysia Fulwiley is a "gamble", shows pride in South Carolina star's growth: "You can take bad shots, just defend"

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley was proud to see MiLaysia Fulwiley's growth on both sides of the court, as her gamble to insert the guard in certain situations where the Gamecocks needed a spark to maintain their solid attack every game was paying off.

The guard's performance has been on the rise and she spoke about her love for defense, specifically in the game against Oklahoma on Sunday. When talking to the media after South Carolina's 101-60 victory over the Sooners, Staley hailed Fulwiley's defense and emphasized what she wanted her prized guard to do on the court.

"She just played solid defense. She took really good shots, Staley said. (3:10) "Probably the long threes ... she just wanted the dagger. You got to let her have that space. As long as she's playing defense, I'm really fine with it. You could take bad shots, just defend."

Dawn Staley noted that Fulwiley understands her role even if she knows she's going to sacrifice her flair and wild moments in every game.

"I'm proud of her because I asked her to be a little bit more disciplined while giving her the freedom to do whatever she needs to do," Staley said (2:13).

"We do give up her ability to impact the game on both sides of the ball. We give up that and it's a gamble. But I like to know certain things at the end the of basketball games."

MiLaysia Fulwiley finished with 15 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal and two blocks in 23 minutes, helping No.2-ranked South Carolina (18-1, 6-0 in SEC) gain a big win over No. 13-ranked Oklahoma (15-4, 3-3).

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Dawn Staley talks about the Gamecocks' excellent play off the bench against Oklahoma

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley also praised her bench unit for scoring 53 points against Oklahoma. Joyce Edwards, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson led the bench, putting up a combined 45 points.

"I'm very confident with the entire roster. They have a way of playing well together. They prep extremely well. They are finding their footing," she said (5:56).

Dawn Staley also credited Adhel Tac and Sakima Walker for understanding the situation where she gave more minutes to Maryam Dauda based on the needs of the game. She believes she will use the two players when they have to play against 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6 centers.

The Gamecocks finished with 26 assists and 11 steals and took care of the ball well en route to committing only six turnovers. On the defensive side, they allowed the Sooners to shoot 35.6% from the field and forced 22 turnovers.

South Carolina will be back home on Thursday to play a crucial SEC matchup against unbeaten LSU (20-0, 5-0).