**”You Chose LSU Over Us?” – SC’s Joyce Edwards Fires Shots at Ex-Teammate MiLaysia Fulwiley After Shocking Tigers Switch! — THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT BASKETBALL**
The basketball world was stunned when MiLaysia Fulwiley, once the heart and soul of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program, announced her decision to transfer to SEC rival LSU. But no one was more blindsided—or more furious—than her former teammate and close friend, Joyce Edwards. In a scathing statement that sent shockwaves through the sport, Edwards didn’t just question Fulwiley’s loyalty—she scorched it. What started as a routine transfer announcement has erupted into a full-blown personal war, exposing fractures far deeper than the average rivalry. And as Edwards made painfully clear: *This was never about basketball.*
For years, Edwards and Fulwiley were inseparable. They arrived at South Carolina as part of a heralded recruiting class, dubbed the future of the program. On the court, their chemistry was electric—no-look passes, lockdown defense, celebrations that felt more like family reunions than game highlights. Off the court, they were even closer. Late-night study sessions, birthdays spent together, inside jokes that no one else understood. Teammates joked that they shared a brain. Coaches praised their bond as the foundation of the team’s culture. That’s what made Fulwiley’s decision so devastating. Not just that she left—but *where* she went.
LSU isn’t just another school. It’s *the* rival. The program South Carolina has battled for SEC supremacy, the team that’s become the villain in Columbia’s championship story. For Edwards, Fulwiley’s choice wasn’t just a basketball move—it was a betrayal. “You don’t do this to family,” a source close to Edwards revealed. “Joyce wouldn’t have cared if it was UConn, if it was overseas—but LSU? That’s a knife in the back.”
Edwards’ statement, though carefully worded, dripped with fury. She never mentioned Fulwiley by name, but the target was unmistakable. “Some people chase shiny things,” she wrote. “Some forget who held them up when they were falling. Loyalty doesn’t have a price tag.” The subtext screamed louder than the words: *You sold us out.*
The reaction was instant. Social media exploded, with fans split between those defending Fulwiley’s right to choose her path and those branding her a traitor. Former teammates weighed in with cryptic posts—some liking Edwards’ message, others avoiding the drama entirely. Even coaches seemed caught off guard. “This isn’t how we do things here,” one South Carolina staffer muttered to reporters, though they quickly backtracked, insisting the program “wishes all former players well.”
But the most telling silence came from Fulwiley herself. No clapback, no explanation—just a single, vague Instagram story hours later: a black screen with the words “God’s plan.” Edwards didn’t acknowledge it. She didn’t have to. The message was sent.
Behind the scenes, sources say the rift had been building for months. Fulwiley, a rising star with WNBA dreams, reportedly felt overshadowed in South Carolina’s system. LSU, with its flashy offense and national spotlight, offered a chance to be “the” star. But Edwards, a born leader who prides herself on putting the team first, saw it differently. “This program made you,” she allegedly told Fulwiley in a private conversation before the transfer. “You’re walking away from the people who *built* you.”
Now, what was once an unbreakable friendship is collateral damage. The two haven’t spoken since Fulwiley’s announcement, and with LSU and South Carolina set to face off twice next season, the tension will only escalate. Edwards, known for her intensity, is already using the betrayal as fuel. “She’s locked in like never before,” a teammate said. “When we play LSU? That’s personal.”
As for Fulwiley, she’ll step onto LSU’s campus as a hero to some, a villain to others. But one thing’s certain: When she takes the court against her former team, Edwards will be waiting. Not just to win—but to prove a point.
Because this? This was never about basketball.
