You know it’s serious when college basketball fans start dropping Kevin Durant comparisons. In a shocking offseason shake-up, South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley stunned the NCAA world by flipping to LSU, instantly igniting reactions. The move took only days—she entered the portal on April 17 and committed to Kim Mulkey’s Tigers by April 25.
However, it’s already being called one of the boldest moves in recent women’s college hoops history. How bold? Let’s say some fans are calling it a Durant-level move to Golden State.
MiLaysia Fulwiley’s Fans Can’t Handle Her Power Move
Fulwiley isn’t just any transfer. The Columbia, S.C., native was a hometown hero who committed to Dawn Staley’s South Carolina powerhouse as a five-star high school phenom. South Carolina fans saw her as a future face of the program.
But then came the twist. Just days after the national championship loss, Fulwiley hit the transfer portal. One week later, she committed to Kim Mulkey’s LSU. And social media lost it.
“MiLaysia Fulwiley to LSU has very similar vibes to when KD left his team struggling to get over the mountain in favor of his team’s main rival, who had already been to the mountaintop several times. Fulwiley’s situation is sligjtly different since SC just won the chip too. But still.Switching teams to go to your team’s rival is such a weak move,” a Reddit user said in a thread.
MiLaysia Fulwiley to LSU is Kevin Durant to Golden State
byu/sabo-metrics inNCAAW
Comparisons poured in fast. Some saw Fulwiley’s move as strategic, others as controversial. But the loudest voices compared it to one of the NBA’s most controversial moves ever—Kevin Durant joining the 73-win Golden State Warriors in 2016, right after they eliminated him from the playoffs.
“I get the point you’re trying to make but KD was a once in a generation 3 level scorer, the to point where he’s still the most efficient 3 level scorer. Even tho it’s stacking the team, Fulwiley isn’t nearly as good at her craft.” another user said in the thread.
“The actual equivalent would be if she went to UConn, which she didn’t, so no.” Someone else said.
She lived the dream, winning a national championship as a freshman in 2024. With that, the athlete helped guide the team to a near-perfect season in 2025 before they were upset by UConn in the NCAA title game.
By the numbers, she got 76 career games with only three starts. If that wasn’t enough, then she got 2025 SEC Sixth Woman of the Year and averaged 11.8 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game in 2024–25. Let’s not forget about the key bench spark during the Gamecocks’ 2024 national title run.
Why LSU? Mulkey Says MiLaysia Fulwiley Is “Electrifying”
For LSU head coach Kim Mulkey, Fulwiley’s arrival is a massive win. After a turbulent season that saw LSU eliminated in the Sweet 16 and riddled with chemistry issues. This surely added one of the most dynamic scorers to them, which is exactly what the Tigers needed.
“[She stands out] as one of the most electrifying talents in college basketball,” Mulkey said after the signing.
With star forward Aneesah Morrow expected to return, plus a loaded transfer class, Mulkey might be building her second national title team in Baton Rouge. Fulwiley adds creativity, speed, and clutch scoring—something LSU lacked in its deeper tournament run in 2023. The question now is, can Mulkey harness that flair and make it work in her system?
Adding fuel to the fire, the Durant comparisons hit peak relevance during the 2025 NBA trade deadline. It’s when real rumors of a Kevin Durant return to Golden State began swirling.
It was wild for about 12 hours.
But then ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the bomb: Durant had “no desire” to return to Golden State. According to The Athletic’s Anthony Slater and Sam Amick, the Warriors officially pulled out of talks after learning Durant was out.
Instead, Jimmy Butler landed with the Warriors, and Durant stayed put in Phoenix. So while the NBA’s version of this story ended in a “what if,” college hoops is living it in real time—with Fulwiley now wearing purple and gold.
Also Read: With Paige Bueckers Gone, Who Will Be the Next Face of Women’s College Basketball?
With NIL money, the transfer portal, and high-level coaching, women’s college basketball is entering its own superteam era.
And LSU? They might be the new rival.
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