Despite MiLaysia Fulwiley entering the portal, analyst claims Dawn Staley's South Carolina won't "miss a beat" due to Ta'Niya Latson's arrival

Dawn Staley's South Carolina hit a jackpot with the addition of Florida State transfer Ta'Niya Latson — the nation's leading scorer this past season. However, a week after Latson signed with the Gamecocks, their rising star guard, MiLaysia Fulwiley, entered the transfer portal.

Fulwiley, who had a limited playing time behind veteran guards Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Pao Pao, only started three games in her two seasons with South Carolina, which many assume to be the reason why she decided to leave.

In a Wednesday episode on his YouTube channel, analyst Robin Lundberg mentioned that while it is unfortunate Fulwiley is leaving, Dawn Staley and her team will not be affected much since they have Latson.

"The Gamecocks aren't going to miss a beat," Lundberg said (at 4:25). "When they brought in Ta'Niya Latson and they got the big 6'6" transfer as well, so they're in good shape going into next season. In fact, if I was doing preseason rankings, they might be at the top."

Lundberg added that the national champion UConn might be the one team that can challenge South Carolina in the preseason poll since they have Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd returning. Fudd and Strong each scored 24 points to beat the Gamecocks in the NCAA title game earlier this month.

He also hopes Fulwiley goes to a team where she can thrive.

"I would hate for [MiLaysia] to be one of those stories that's a bit of a flameout and not someone realizing their potential."

Dawn Staley's South Carolina climbs to the top in ESPN early projections

Charlie Creme of ESPN recently published his way-too-early projections for the 2025-26 season. Following their championship final loss to UConn and losing several players to eligibility and the transfer portal, Dawn Staley's South Carolina initially ranked No. 2.

However, after landing Ta'Niya Latson, ESPN moved the Gamecocks to No. 1 while dropping the Huskies to No. 2.

"Latson is the best backcourt scorer Dawn Staley has ever had in Columbia and provides the dimension that this season’s team lacked: a bona fide go-to bucket getter," Creme wrote about the former Florida State star, via ESPN.

South Carolina also added Madina Okot, a 6-foot-6 junior transfer from Mississippi State, to fortify its frontcourt. The team will also bring in five-star guard Agot Makeer, ranked No. 4 in the country, per 247Sports.

Meanwhile, Tessa Johnson, Raven Johnson, Chloe Kitts and Joyce Edwards are expected to return next season.