Gamecock Guards Grab National Attention
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball guards MiLaysia Fulwiley, Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao are among the 50 players named to the 2024-25 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Watch List presented by Axia Time, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced today. Johnson and Paopao were also part of the 20-player watch list for the 2025 Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the top point guard in Division I women’s basketball.
Fulwiley burst onto the college scene with attention-grabbing moves in the season opener and steadily built her game throughout the season to land on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She was the Gamecocks’ top scorer 11 times last season, the second most on the team, as part of 23 double-figure scoring games, which included three 20-point outings. She finished with 11.7 points per game, which was second on the team, and grabbed SEC Tournament MVP honors after averaging 14.3 points at the event, including a 24-point outing in the title game.
Johnson was second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio last season (3.09) and earned Second-Team All-SEC honors after ranking third in the league in assists per game (4.8) and eighth in steals per game (2.1). She scored a career-best 8.1 points per game, including 16 double-digit scoring games and handed out five or more assists 20 times in her 37 games.
Paopao was the nation’s top 3-point percentage shooter last season who earned All-America honors and was an All-SEC Second Team selection as well. She averaged 11.0 points and 3.7 assists last season with those numbers rising to 12.6 points and 4.0 assists per game against ranked opponents. The Oregon transfer has drawn all-conference honors every year of her college career.
South Carolina hosts an exhibition game against Clayton State at Colonial Life Arena on Mon., Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., to which admission is free. The 2024-25 season officially gets underway on Mon., Nov. 4, in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas against Michigan.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.
Naismith Trophy Watch List
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Sarah Andrews, Baylor
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Madison Booker, Texas
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Sonia Citron, Notre Dame
Makira Cook, Illinois
Audi Crooks, Iowa State
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Azzi Fudd, UConn
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Rori Harmon, Texas
Hanna Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Kiki Iriafen, Southern Cal
Aziah James, NC State
Lauren Jensen, Creighton
Flau’jae Johnson, SLU
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Deja Kelly, Oreon
Gianna Kneepkens, Utah
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA
Alexis Markowski, Nebraska
Rayah Marshall, Southern Call
Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
S’Mya Nichols, Kansas
Lucy Olsen, Iowa
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Laila Phelia, Texas
JJ Quinerly, West Virginia
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Reigan Richardson, Duke
Saniya Rivers, NC State
Emily Ryan, Iowa State
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Shyanne Sellers, Maryland
Hannah Stuelke, Iowa
Serena Sundell, Kansas State
Makayla Timpson, Florida State
Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina
Hailey Van Lith, TCU
Skylar Vann, Oklahoma
Talia von Oelhoffen, Southern Cal
JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Lieberman Award Watch List
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Makira Cook, Illinois
Katie Dinnebier, Drake
Rori Harmon, Texas
Jordan Harrison, West Virginia
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Diamond Johnson, Norfolk State
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Deja Kelly, Oregon
Charlisse Leger-Walker, UCLA
Tania Mair, Duke
Olivia Miles, Notre Dame
Lucy Olsen, Iowa
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Emily Ryan, Iowa State
Serena Sundell, Kansas State
Ines Vieira, Utah
Talia von Oelhoffen, Southern Cal