A dazzling 32-point, 17-assist performance made one thing abundantly clear: MiLaysia Fulwiley isn’t simply chasing another hot streak. The former South Carolina transfer, who leveled up when March arrived last year and torched defenses down the stretch with some of the finest basketball of her career, looks primed to make that superstar form her everyday norm as she enters her senior season at LSU.
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For Kim Mulkey, MiLaysia Fulwiley, and LSU, Thursday night’s 159-31 exhibition demolition of North Texas-Dallas was never about whatever numbers showed up on the scoreboard. It was about putting their vision into action.
“I know what needs to be done now. Now it’s about going out there and executing what my coaches need me to do,” Fulwiley said after the game, per Cory Diaz of USA Today.
With LSU shorthanded, Fulwiley stepped into the starting lineup and logged 31 minutes to lead the Tigers. Her extended court time came with the Tigers down two roster spots, as newcomer center Anna Minaeva (freshman) and forward Noa Morro (senior) were sidelined for the exhibition game.
Fulwiley was absolutely clinical in the first half, scoring 17 of her 32 points after finding plenty of opportunities to open up space on the court.
“I’m trying to go out there every day in practice, getting better at the things I need to, and (taking care of the basketball) is definitely one of them,” Fulwiley added. “I’m excited to see how I compete against better competition, but today, I was very satisfied with not turning over the ball.”
LSU raced out to a 21–0 advantage at the start of the game before De’Asia Johnson ended the drought for UNT Dallas with a 3-pointer with 4:45 left in the first quarter.
Mikaylah Williams put on an absolute masterclass on both ends of the floor, finishing with 22 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, and 11 steals. She was joined by big nights across the board: Johnson delivered a dominant 23-point, 10-board double-double, Knox poured in 21, and Jada Williams added 12 points while dishing out seven assists.
After the game, Kim Mulkey also gave an update about Anna Minaeva.
“I can’t give you the medical deal, but it’s her quad,” Mulkey said. “It’s not a deep bruise or anything like that. She’s 17 years old, and what you try to learn is, ‘What is her pain tolerance?’ And I think she’s ready to be out there. I don’t know in sports if anybody ever plays with just zero pain every day. I think you’re always gonna have something. And so we just wait for the trainers and doctors to say she can go.”
“…I think this is her second week (out) and hopefully, soon, like as in Monday, (we) get her going back on the floor.”
Ranked No. 9 in Tuesday’s preseason AP poll, LSU earned a top-10 nod for the fourth straight year (No. 1 in 2023–24, No. 7 in 2024–25, No. 5 in 2025–26). The Tigers are looking to bounce back from last spring’s Sweet 16 heartbreak, where the No. 2-seeded Tigers—their best seed since 2008—fell to No. 3 Duke on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Over the offseason, Mulkey lost star guard Flau’jae Johnson to the WNBA and saw three core rotation pieces depart via the portal.
Mulkey’s revamped squad takes on three preseason top-25 nonconference opponents across November and December: No. 25 NC State (Nov. 28 in Fort Myers), No. 12 North Carolina (Dec. 2 away), and No. 2 UConn (Dec. 20 in Nashville).
The Tigers will tip off their regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.
Fulwiley’s performances like these mirror the dominant 10-game closing stretch that defined her season a year ago. For LSU to snap its mini-drought and return to the Final Four for the first time since hanging the 2023 national championship banner, that version of Fulwiley has to become an everyday fixture during her final ride in Baton Rouge.