3X champ Dawn Staley reacts ecstatically to MiLaysia Fulwiley's latest hype video: "Where them drinks at"

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and star MiLaysia Fulwiley
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and star MiLaysia Fulwiley

South Carolina star MiLaysia Fulwiley emerged as one of the most talented freshmen in women's college basketball last season. The 5-foot-10 guard was integral in leading the Gamecocks to an unbeaten national championship win.

Fulwiley also became a Curry Brand athlete and Red Bull ambassador, and on Monday, she posted a promotional clip on Instagram showing herself working out in the gym while drinking the new Red Bull sugar-free drink.

"Next SZN Loading 🔒😈," she captioned the post.

Fulwiley's charismatic Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley hyped up the collaboration, commenting on the post:

"Let's get it Lay...where them drinks at!!"
Fulwiley's IG comment section
Fulwiley's IG comment section

MiLaysia Fulwiley: The South Carolina star rearing to go

MiLaysia Fulwiley is a South Carolina native and was monitored extensively by the Gamecocks as she starred for W.J. Keenan High School and became a McDonald's All-American, finally winning her signature after she was courted by several elite programs.

During an end-season news conference, Coach Dawn Staley revealed how hard it was to not make the local hero a starter immediately as a freshman.

“I think MiLaysia Fulwiley has been very patient with us to be able to have a household name coming off the bench, playing maybe, probably less than 20 minutes a game,” Staley said, “where she could have gone anywhere else in the country and they’d have given her the ball time and time again."

Despite the reduced game time, Fulwiley still managed to register 11.7 points on 43.8% shooting from the floor and 34.3% from beyond the arc, along with 2.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

She had outstanding solo games where she seemed to drag the national champions to wins when things were tough. One of those instances was the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game against the LSU Tigers.

MiLaysia Fulwiley registered 24 points on 80% shooting from the floor and 66.6% shooting from beyond the arc, two assists and two steals in the fiery 79-72 win and was named the Gamecocks' Freshman of the Year.

The wily Dawn Staley knows that the undefeated national championship win will have bought her time to incorporate Fulwiley into the starting lineup before she opts to go and look for more game time elsewhere.

"But winning a national championship will allow us and that relationship to continue to grow because I know she (Fulwiley) really wanted this," Staley said. "And I would imagine that come as early as next year, she’s going to want to be a starter, she’s going to want to play more minutes, she’s going to want a lot of different things because she got the big one."

The praise that MiLaysia Fulwiley is getting in college basketball circles should sound ominous for the South Carolina Gamecocks' opponents next season because it seems as if Dawn Staley has uncovered another gem.

What could Alabama basketball's 2024-25 starting lineup look like? Find out here

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