MiLaysia Fulwiley became the first collegiate athlete to sign with the Curry Brand from an Under Armour-backed school. As with all collegiate athletes, Fulwiley signed the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deal in March. The South Carolina freshman has been making waves in the basketball world with her late-game heroics and elite rim finish. Fulwiley has even been dubbed a “generational talent” by her coach, Dawn Staley. Her crafty skills were on full display during the Gamecocks vs Hawkeyes championship game. And in the wake of South Carolina’s championship victory, Stephen Curry and his ‘Curry Brand’ wasted no time in congratulating the 5’10 guard. But now, they are taking it to a whole other level.
Curry Brand now has 10 live digital billboards throughout MiLaysia Fulwiley’s hometown of Columbia, South Carolina. Steph shared the exciting news on his Instagram Story with the caption, “She’s like that!!! Congrats champ!”
Talk about ingenious marketing skills! Steph’s Under Armour-backed label confirmed that the billboards would be up for the next week. Well, we can be sure that everyone in Columbia will be walking with an extra pep in their step for quite some time. But that isn’t all why Fulwiley’s hometown is so proud of her. Or her coach.
MiLaysia Fulwiley is unlike any other freshmen
Coach Staley has been calling Fulwiley a “generational talent” for a long time. And with good reason, too. The Hall of Fame player and coach admitted that she finds many similarities between herself and MiLaysia. Fearless, a great passer, “high-risk, high-reward” kind of player, were Dawn’s words about her S.C. guard.
Despite it all, what makes MiLaysia Fulwiley unique is her skillset. “Athletic, unselfish and creative with the basketball. So when it comes to the edge of being a generational talent, she edges me out by far,” was Staley’s verdict. But she wasn’t done calling attention to the NCAA champion.
What truly made the difference when it came to a player like Fulwiley was that she was a “bounce-back player”. If there is a mistake on her part, the young guard absorbs the failings and works hard to fix it. The kind of maturity she shows and her determination to be better wasn’t something seen in freshmen. And with this realization comes self-confidence.
It was something that has worked particularly well for Fulwiley, too. Talking to reporters after being crowned the SEC Tournament MVP, she said, “My role on this team is just go out there and be who I am.” And being herself got her the recognition that she now boasts.