"Went as far as quitting her night job": MiLaysia Fulwiley gets real about mother's role in fueling her basketball career

The South Carolina Gamecocks' MiLaysia Fulwiley acknowledged that her basketball career was possible because of her family's unwavering support.

In a YouTube video released on Monday on the Gamecocks' official channel, Fulwiley said:

"My mom definitely was my hero, and I just wanted to show her how much I appreciated her. Just waking up early in the morning for my games — she went as far as quitting her night job so she would be able to go to my games once I started playing AAU and things.

"Just seeing her work hard and make sure we got what we wanted by any means necessary just made me want to do it for her actually," the Gamecocks guard added.

Fulwiley also acknowledged her grandmother, who motivated her to work hard.

"My grandma used to always ask for bingo money," Fulwiley said. "So I used to be like, 'Dang, maybe one day when I get rich, I can just give you all the bingo money in the world.' ... things like that used to make me just want to keep going and push harder."

MiLaysia Fulwiley's mother shares reasons for choosing South Carolina Gamecocks

MiLaysia Fulwiley had offers from many prominent basketball programs including Ole Miss, South Carolina, Florida and Louisville. However, her mother Phea Mixon explained why they ultimately chose Dawn Staley's Gamecocks as the best fit.

"You need someone that's going to say no when the time is right," Mixon said. "Transitioning to college and the WNBA, you have to be able to change and sacrifice some things ... you need someone that's going to hold you accountable."

The 5-foot-10 sophomore guard explained that Staley's no-nonsense approach and honest words were key factors that drew her to South Carolina.

"She (Dawn Staley) told me that she believed in me, and I felt safe when talking to her. It felt like home," MiLaysia said.

MiLaysia Fulwiley has emerged as one of the key cogs for the Gamecocks this season. She is averaging 10.1 points per game in just 17.8 minutes and is a valuable contributor off the bench for the defending champions.

In her team's 93-47 win over Wofford, the South Carolina native tallied 11 points, two rebounds, five assists and one block in 18 minutes of action. The No. 2 Gamecocks (12-1) will begin SEC play on Thursday with a trip to Mizzou Arena to take on Missouri.