Dawn Staley says she still tenses up about MiLaysia Fulwiley's unpredictability amid major praises: "Can't wait to see the finished product"

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley doesn't want to get ahead praising sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley following her dominant display in the game against Arkansas on Thursday.

Fulwiley finished with 15 points, shooting 6-10 from the field and 1-3 from the 3-point line. She also had four rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block. She was well supported by Joyce Edwards (18 points) in the 95-55 win.

After the game, Staley praised the guard but also wanted to see her continue to grow and develop.

"It’s fun to watch her learn and grow," Staley told reporters (5:38 onwards). "She's grown so much just from practice. Just her attention to detail in practice, her communication, and knowing that if she takes an ill-advised shot, she’ll just look and be like, ‘No, bad shot.’ She’ll say something like that.

"Whereas last year, she would’ve taken it and been like, ‘I can make that,’ whether it was a good shot or not. When you communicate a little differently, you have an understanding. I can’t wait to see the finished product, where I don’t really have to say anything to her and she just knows. So that’s pretty cool."

MiLaysia Fulwiley has been doing well of late. Thursday evening was her seventh consecutive game where she scored in double figures, taking her season total to 17 such games. All of those points have come from the bench.

Dawn Staley draws praise for MiLaysia Fulwiley's efficient outing on the floor

Another point of reason for the Gamecocks coach to praise MiLaysia Fulwiley's outing was her efficient gameplay on both sides of the court. The Gamecocks had eight turnovers in the game, but none belonged to Fulwiley.

"She didn’t force the shot; she dumped it off a few times. She’s very, very unselfish," Staley added. "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."

Fulwiley's gameplay has certainly left an impression on Dawn Staley who looks forward to tapping new potentials in her game. For now, she's happy to take double figures from her in every game she plays.