South Carolina Women's Basketball Faces LSU, Former Teammate Fulwiley

Dawn Staley's Gamecocks take on Kim Mulkey's Tigers in a top-5 matchup on Valentine's Day

Jan. 31, 2026 at 4:31am

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The No. 3 South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team will travel to Baton Rouge to take on the No. 5 LSU Tigers on February 14th. The game will feature a matchup between South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, as well as a reunion between the Gamecocks and former teammate MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred to LSU after two seasons at South Carolina.

Why it matters

This game is a highly anticipated top-5 matchup between two of the best women's basketball programs in the country. It also has added intrigue with the coaching battle between Staley and Mulkey, as well as the reunion between the Gamecocks and Fulwiley, who was a key player for them before transferring to LSU.

The details

South Carolina is 21-2 overall and 7-1 in SEC play, while LSU is 20-2 and 6-2 in conference. The Gamecocks beat the Tigers 66-56 in Columbia last season, but the two teams did not meet again in the SEC Tournament. Fulwiley is averaging 14.1 points per game off the bench for LSU this season after leaving South Carolina.

  • The game will be played on February 14, 2026 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
  • South Carolina has three more games before facing LSU, taking on Texas A&M on February 2, Mississippi State, and Tennessee.

The players

Dawn Staley

The head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team, who has led the program to great success including a national championship in 2017.

Kim Mulkey

The head coach of the LSU Tigers women's basketball team, who previously coached at Baylor and has won four national championships as a head coach.

MiLaysia Fulwiley

A former player for the South Carolina Gamecocks who transferred to LSU after two seasons, and is now a key contributor for the Tigers off the bench.

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What they’re saying

“This game is always one of the highlights of our schedule. LSU is a great program and it will be a tough test for us, but we're looking forward to the challenge.”

— Dawn Staley, Head Coach, South Carolina Gamecocks

“MiLaysia is a talented player and we're excited to have her on our team. I'm sure it will be an emotional game for her going against her former teammates, but we're focused on getting the win.”

— Kim Mulkey, Head Coach, LSU Tigers

What’s next

The winner of this game will take a big step towards securing a high seed in the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

This top-5 matchup between two of the best women's basketball programs in the country, featuring a coaching battle between Dawn Staley and Kim Mulkey as well as a reunion between the Gamecocks and former player MiLaysia Fulwiley, is a must-watch game for any college basketball fan.