By ANDRE CHAMPAGNE, Tiger Rag Staff Reporter
On Tuesday morning, the Southeastern Conference unveiled its annual postseason awards for women’s basketball.
South Carolina senior guard Raven Johnson, Texas graduate guard Rori Harmon, Texas A&M senior guard Ny’Ceara Pryor, Mississippi State freshman forward Madison Francis and Kentucky junior forward Clara Strack were all named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.
But leaving LSU junior guard MiLaysia Fulwiley out is one of the league’s biggest recent embarrassments.
Fulwiley was recognized as the SEC Sixth Woman of the Year for the second consecutive season after providing unmatched energy and playmaking off the bench for the Tigers. While she won’t leave empty-handed, her absence from the All-Defensive Team is hard to justify given the season she put together.
If the awards are about production, Fulwiley’s résumé speaks for itself. She ranks third in the league in steals per game at 3.1, trailing only Pryor (3.5) and Auburn junior guard Kaitlyn Duhon (3.2). Her 93 total steals are second in the SEC and rank 13th nationally.
And she’s not just a perimeter disruptor. Fulwiley is averaging 1.4 blocks per game – tied for sixth in the conference and the highest among players listed under 6-foot-2 in the league. Her ability to protect the rim as a guard makes her defensive impact even more impressive.
Now, let’s compare those numbers to South Carolina’s Raven Johnson, the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. Johnson averaged 1.6 steals this season, which did not rank among the SEC’s top 15 in the conference. On top of that, Johnson’s 0.6 blocks per game do not rank among the top 25 in the SEC. Fulwiley also averaged more steals (2.8) than Texas’ Harmon.
Johnson is an elite defender who anchors one of the nation’s top defenses, but strictly from a statistical standpoint, Fulwiley’s presence was simply better this season.
It’s safe to say she agrees. In Fulwiley’s latest Instagram post, she shared a compilation of photos of her blocking shots with the caption, “ok cool.”
Fulwiley’s defensive ability brings a dynamic that few players in the country can match. Her defense also fuels LSU’s No. 1 offense, as many of her points come in transition — sparked by steals and deflections that lead to easy baskets on the other end. LSU is at its best when it’s running, and more often than not, Fulwiley is the catalyst.
At minimum, Fulwiley deserved a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team, but there’s even a case to be made that she belonged in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.
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