LSU head coach Kim Mulkey may have pulled off the biggest move of the offseason by landing star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley from the transfer portal. Fulwiley played a key role in leading South Carolina to back-to-back national championship appearances over her two seasons with the Gamecocks.
In a decision that made headlines nationwide, Fulwiley is now headed to Baton Rouge to suit up for the Tigers. Speaking on Gordon McKernan’s podcast, Mulkey opened up about how she managed to secure the elite transfer.
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“Every time we’ve played South Carolina, she [Fulwiley] in particular has kicked our rear end,” Mulkey said. “She just was special every time she played LSU.”
When it came to recruiting her, Mulkey revealed it wasn’t a drawn-out process.
“It didn’t take much,” she said. “I think I spoke to her and her mother one time.”
It seems Fulwiley had her sights set on LSU even before entering the portal. “She has not even come here on a visit,” Mulkey added.
Mulkey also spoke broadly about the evolving transfer portal landscape and how players are approaching it more strategically than ever.
“These young people do their homework,” she said. “They look at rosters, they look at openings in the starting five, they look at openings in the rotation of eight or nine players.”
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Though transferring is rarely an easy choice, Mulkey acknowledged that in Fulwiley’s case, “She pretty much—I think—had her mind made up.”
Mulkey says the team is excited for Fulwiley’s flair and is eager to see her take the court alongside the Tigers’ other top talent.