MiLaysia Fulwiley on Gamecocks Losses to All Final 4 Opponents: ‘That Motivates Us’

The South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team is walking into Friday night’s Final Four game with two wins and one loss against Texas. But if they beat the Longhorns, they will then face a team in the championship game that they already lost against, no matter if UCLA or UConn comes out on top.

In November, the Gamecocks lost against UCLA, ending their 43-game winning streak. Then their February loss against UConn ended a 71-game home winning streak.

Gamecocks star MiLaysia Fulwiley spoke on Thursday about how these past losses are only providing more motivation for the Gamecocks, ESPN reported.

“I think that motivates us to want to play better,” Fulwiley told ESPN. “We didn’t have our great games versus them, and the teams that we played had outstanding games. They couldn’t miss. So it makes me hope and pray and feel like the roles are going to be reversed. We’re going to be the ones not able to miss, and we’re going to be the ones that lock in and play the better basketball.”

South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley

She added: “We just have to go out there and show that our best basketball has yet to come. So it motivates me because we owe them one.”

In an interview with Noah Chast of ABC Columbia during her media availability, Fulwiley said she’s excited to prove that her team belongs in the Final Four.

“I’m so ready to show everyone that we belong,” she said. “We are supposed to be here. We’re gonna win this national championship.”

Fulwiley told ESPN that no matter who they face if they beat Texas, this will be their only chance to “show the world that we just had an off game.”

“It’s going to take all 12 of us to walk out with those wins, and I think we will,” she predicted.

But even though they’ve played Texas before and won two out of the three games, the Gamecocks aren’t taking this next game lightly, Fulwiley told Claire Foley on Thursday.

“They can expect us to come out and play strong and fight for 40 minutes. … Our practice this week has been great and I feel like everyone is on the same page. Everyone kind of understands the assignment, which is to win. I feel very confident about the game coming up.”