Dawn Staley praises "very unselfish" MiLaysia Fulwiley after Arkansas game: "The biggest thing that she's doing is defending"

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley was full of praise for her sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley who scored 15 points coming off the bench in 95-55 win against Arkansas on Thursday.

It marked the seventh consecutive game for Fulwiley where she ended up in double figures, making her a big asset for Staley to deploy in the game.

On Thursday, while addressing reporters after the game, Staley threw light on Fulwiley's "unselfish" mindset while on the court for the Gamecocks, who have now improved to 24-3 and 12-1 in the SEC.

"I mean, Lei Lei has a real good understanding of what needs to happen—she really does," Staley told reporters (4:08 onwards). "I think, in the moment, she couldn’t help herself at times, but I thought today was just great. They were timely, they were what she was supposed to do in that situation. She didn’t force the shot; she dumped it off a few times. She’s very, very unselfish.

"I just thought she met the moment. I think the biggest thing she’s doing is defending—she’s competing on the other side of the floor. She puts herself in a position where she can do that, and it worked out. I don’t think she had any turnovers in this particular game—very efficient from the floor."

Staley is also happy seeing Fulwiley grow as a player with South Carolina, carrying a big upside for her future.

"She’s growing—she really is growing," Staley added. "She’s learning, she’s improving, she’s more active in practice. She’s using her voice in practice, and it’s always a good thing when a young player starts to utilize their voice and understand their power."

MiLaysia Fulwiley reveals secret sauce for her bounceback performance vs Arkansas

MiLaysia Fulwiley struggled to do well against UConn on Saturday, as she finished with just 11 points on 4-8 shooting and 0-1 from the 3-point line. The Gamecocks suffered a 87-58 loss against the Huskies.

NCAA Womens Basketball: Arkansas at South Carolina - Source: Imagn

However, for Fulwiley, looking back to past games does no good as she talked about taking one game at a time.

"I didn't think about our last game," Fulwiley told reporters after the game. "I really just focused on this game & that kinda helped me go out there and do what I was able to do. I like when I make shots. It makes me happy so that's why I smiled."

Fulwiley & Co. will next face Vanderbilt on Sunday.