In a closely contested ACC/SEC Women’s Basketball Challenge, the South Carolina women's basketball team was victorious over North Carolina with a score of 65-58 on Thursday night. However, a notable aspect of this win was the limited playing time of star freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina's second-leading scorer.

Fulwiley, who usually averages 23.5 minutes per game and 15.0 points, was on the court for just three minutes in the first quarter, contributing one block and one personal foul while missing her only field-goal attempt.

Dawn Staley, South Carolina's head coach, expressed her rationale behind this decision in a postgame media briefing at Carmichael Arena. Staley’s primary concern was defensive. She pointed out Fulwiley's challenges in maintaining coverage on her assigned player, which led to the opponent making multiple 3-pointers.

“I know that’s probably one of the things she has to improve on, but it was such a nip-and-tuck game that I don’t want her to lose confidence. She’ll know exactly why she didn’t get extended minutes. I’ve always told our players if you play well, you get extended minutes. If you don’t, they have to go to someone else. It could be you at times. It could not be you at times.” Staley said, via John Whittle of 247Sports.

“We just have such a young team that they got to know, and hopefully, she doesn’t feel good about not playing as much as she probably wanted to. Hopefully, we can get her in at Duke and hopefully play some extend in minutes, but she’s got to be ready to rock and roll.”

Heading into the game, MiLaysia Fulwiley had been averaging significant playing time, clocking in at 23.5 minutes across her first five games of the season. Despite starting in only one of these games, Fulwiley played in all five games.

Her performances were noteworthy, making her the team's second-highest scorer with an average of 15 points per game and an average of four rebounds. Her defensive contributions were also significant, with a tally of 10 steals and seven blocks.

Despite Fulwiley's brief appearance, South Carolina managed to overcome an 11-point deficit in the second quarter. The team's offensive effort was led by Bree Hall with 15 points and Te-Hina Paopao adding 14 points.

Looking ahead, South Carolina, currently with a 6-0 record, will face Duke next in Durham, N.C. The team will remain in the Triangle Area before the game, which is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m.