What MiLaysia Fulwiley said after Dawn Staley's South Carolina beat Oklahoma and proceeds to SEC tournament final

South Carolina's MiLaysia Fulwiley had some insightful comments after the No.1 seed Gamecocks beat No. 5 seed Oklahoma 93-75 in the SEC Tournament semifinal. At Bon Secours Wellness Arena on Saturday, Fulwiley finished with 19 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals.

Fulwiley spoke about how South Carolina has learned to handle runs from opponents.

"From this tournament, I definitely learned that tough teams are gonna always come with runs," she said (via an X post from Matt Dowell). "They're gonna have their runs, you're gonna have your runs, but it just depends on who has the best runs.

"I feel like us as a team, we kind of get kind of scared, not scared, but anxious when other teams come back. But I've learned that every team is going to make a run. It's up to us to execute what we need to do and just stay true to ourselves and stay true to the basketball that we play."

Despite not starting this season, MiLaysia Fulwiley's off-the-bench contributions have been vital for the Gamecocks. On Friday, she tallied 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and four steals to knock off No. 8 seed Vanderbilt 84-63 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.

Dawn Staley's Gamecocks, the defending champions, face the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns in the championship game on Sunday.

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MiLaysia Fulwiley talks about keeping composure and calm amidst March Madness

Basketball is a mental game, and it's especially pertinent during high-pressure situations like March Madness. South Carolina sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley operates with this mindset.

During the postgame interview after the Gamecocks' win over Oklahoma, she was asked about the challenges of handling the panic and nerves during this time of year.

"I feel like Coach tells us that we gotta push through," Fulwiley said in the same interview. "You can't be tired the last couple of minutes in the stretch. And I feel like that's what makes us be able to come out on top versus these teams. We stay confident. We stay true to ourselves.

"With all of the great players that we have on this team, it's kind of easy for one of us to get anxious or want the ball in their hands in that moment, right then and there. And I feel like we do a great job with just coming together and blending it out."

MiLaysia Fulwiley and South Carolina will have another test of toughness and composure when they face Texas in the SEC Tournament final.

The two teams split their regular-season matchups, winning once each. They finished with identical records atop the SEC standings and were crowned the co-champions.